Exordium: Circulus
by Phenobarbital
Summary: They're still not sure exactly how they ended up on the magic side of a place called London, but Edward and Roy are not new to dealing with the unexpected. Needing to get home, they figure out how magic energy works and they make a mutual decision to go to Hogwarts. Neither of them are prepared for what they find at Hogwarts, or for what happens when Ed starts lying to Roy...
1. Unus

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Harry Potter**

 **\- This will be the first part of the Exordium Crossover series, which will play out from The Half Blood Prince going forward to the end of the film series. A LOT will happen, it will be LONG and I hope interesting for readers.**

 **\- This will not interfere with my other stories.**

 **\- Please note, I have not read the Harry Potter books, only watched the movies. BUT, because I know how intense and accurate HP fans like everything to be, I have done extensive research into the bits of the books and films that I mixed in here. I hope I will not offend any HP fans, I really did try to keep it tidy.**

 **\- This part is written to completion.**

 **\- There will be pairings that will unveil themselves as the story unfolds, just a heads up, they won't necessarily be canon.**

 **\- The FMA timeline deviates from a short while after the Promised Day, Edward does NOT have his automail arm as per FMA Manga Chapter 107's events.**

 **\- This is not beta-read, sorry for any mistakes.**

 **\- The title means [The Circle]**

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 **All of my endings waiting to begin**

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Edward thought the day was going quite well, all things considered. In fact, it had been a good week over all.

Four days earlier, on a raining miserable Tuesday, Alphonse had woken up from a medically nourishing, drug hazed, unnaturally exhausted and deeply concerning sleep marathon and actually managed to stay awake for more than a half hour. And since then each day he'd been maintaining conscientiousness for longer periods of time.

And presently, Alphonse had been awake for three or so hours steadily, and was managing to hold quiet but lucid -and smiling- conversation.

It was good, no, actually it was great, because just two weeks earlier had been the Promised Day and between the numerous –violent, psychopathic - attempts on his life as well as the near fall of Amestris to Father and the rest of the chaos that had ensued prior to and thereafter, Ed had been beginning to question whether or not he'd ever succeed in restoring his younger brother to his flesh and blood body.

But, in the true nature of his determinate and obstinate being, or perhaps the extremely reckless and stubborn nature of it, -however one chose to look at things-, he had done the impossible.

He'd performed the first ever successful human transmutation.

And now, not only did he have his brother back, alive and well –perfect actually, despite needing to put some meat on his bones and some color in his skin- also, Ed wasn't going to go to prison for breaking the law…again.

He hadn't bothered to question why since he figured that sentencing him to life in prison after he and Alphonse –and a few other key people- essentially saved 57 some odd million lives, would be a pretty easy way to make said 57 million people turn on your organized military government, so yeah, it made sense that no charges would be brought against him.

That…and the fact that the Fuhrer had been THE evil son of a bitch involved in the plotting and planning to kill everyone in the first place. Yeah, it had been _crazy_. The entire thing still sounded crazy to him, it sounded crazy to everyone who'd been eye witnesses to it. Even Al was still processing it despite having been right there in the thick of it beside Ed.

"You felt it Brother…when the Truth emerged from Father's transmutation. It was massive, so powerful…scarier than anything we ever experienced in the Gate." Alphonse was saying as he tried to sip some water through a straw in between speaking. He was holding the room temperature cup of water in his frail clutch as close to his mouth as he could manage without disturbing the IV's attached to his arm. Edward felt awful for him, apparently in his weak state of slow but steady recovery, even his skin was delicate to things like hot and cold and sunlight…and needles.

Edward couldn't keep the worried frown off his face as he sat at his brother's hospital bedside, arms folded on the faded blue sheets and his chin rested atop them,

"Yeah, I felt it…hey," he sat up and gestured with his hand to the plastic cup, "…lemme' hold that for you, Al, your hand is shaking." his voice was laced with worry.

Despite knowing that Al's nerves were fresh and re-learning sensation and use, he still hated seeing it, he just kept wishing he could find a way to make it heal faster.

Mind you, Doctor Marcoh had offered to help with the Philosophers stone, but of course, Edward had declined.

No more messing in unnatural transmutations.

' _Alphonse is strong, he'll heal just fine on his own and when he's at 100% again, he'll be proud to have made it there on his own.'_ Ed told himself as confidently as he could while watching Al clutch the cup tighter with his ashen, boney digits and shake his head, looking stubborn and eight years old again with a petulant frown,

"No Brother, I have to use what muscles I can…" he sighed and chewed on the end of the straw, "…I can't wait until I'm strong enough to start physical therapy." he mumbled around the plastic.

Edward huffed and resettled his chin on his arms,

"I know…I just want to help." he mumbled and then shifted his head to rub his forehead against his one arm. When he raised his head again, he absently flexed his own emaciated right hand into a loose, weak fist and he smiled,

"Thanks again for saving my ass out there, Al," it was easy to joke about near death when it was in the past, he'd done it so many times, "I was useless there for a second after I lost my automail." he raised his right hand slightly off the mattress and then drummed the tips of his fingers on the sheet a few times.

"Honestly, you're thanking me…?" Al frowned deeper now, it seemed so much more severe with his gaunt features and newly cropped hair, he looked pale and anorexic and it made Edward want to take his pain away, he'd swap places if he could, "…after what you gave up…-"

"Come on, Al," he cut his younger brother's forlorn toned words off with a hand on his forehead and a sigh, "I swear if you imply that my alchemy was somehow worth more than your life I'll-…"

"No, I was referring to _everything_. Over the past four, almost five years, everything you've sacrificed and-…"

"Aaaaal…." Ed groaned, not interested in the least in getting into that discussion.

They always had to agree to disagree about who'd sacrificed the most because Ed always blamed himself and Al always insisted it wasn't his fault alone and he didn't want to get into that. He was content to just sit there and watch Al successfully keep down the water and the bland soup he'd eaten earlier –because his stomach would reject rich and solid foods- and manage a conversation without drifting off to sleep involuntarily.

It was a good day.

"Ed." Al said back, his voice quite a bit less tinny without the echo and so in turn it was instantly more scolding because of it. It made Ed smile goofily, which made Al make a face of disapproval at his amusement, which made Ed smile wider.

Before the younger blonde could go off on a tangent about how Ed should get over himself, there was a knock on the door and it was followed by a soldier, who looked like he'd had a long day, entering immediately and saluting, standing at attention,

"Major Elric, sir, Private Holsen reporting, sir."

Edward raised an eyebrow, never having been impressed with the whole soldier routine no matter how long he'd been around it and he sat up straight, absently stretching his back as he scratched at his cheek absently,

"Uh, go ahead, Private." he said with a lackluster expression and tone that made the Private look uncertain.

He was probably newish and expected Edward to assert himself with the whole 'I outrank you so be very afraid' tone of voice, the same one Mustang always tried to pull on him whenever they would disagree on something, which was pretty much always. It was a tone that never, ever worked, at least not on Ed and he always got good laughs out of his colleagues when he imitated Mustang for it around the office...only when Hawkeye wasn't around though, because her 'be very afraid' tone was up to standard.

All the same, Holsen remained at attention with his posture ramrod stiff and his booted feet pressed together,

"I have been asked to retrieve you and bring you immediately to the primary crime scene, sir, by order of Colonel Mustang." he said in that slightly too loud and crisply clear voice soldiers were required to use.

Ed glanced at Al, the younger blonde was frowning, looking worried. Edward looked back to the soldier,

"Did he say why?" he asked, feeling annoyed that Mustang would summon him to work. Yeah sure, he was still legally required to report to his C.O since he hadn't resigned yet and even when he did, there'd be a duration of time while the paperwork was being processed that he'd have to work anyway.

But being _summoned_ when the bastard knew Ed wanted to spend as many hours as he could in a day with Al…that was just asshole behavior. Ed decided he'd inform Mustang of that as soon as he saw him.

"No, sir." the soldier answered stiffly.

Edward sighed irritably and then pushed the chair he'd been sitting in backwards when he stood, stretching properly, he heard the popping of a few of his joints as he did so.

"Well, do you have _any_ idea why? Was there trouble, commotion, did anyone get attacked?" Ed asked as he pushed his braid back over his shoulder.

Holsen shook his head once only,

"No, sir, everything seemed fine, except for everyone being asked to clear out of the underground room just before I was sent here."

Edward was grateful that the soldier had at least used his brain and offered up some information without having to be instructed, there was hope for him yet. Of course, Ed was also tempted to keep him at attention for another five or ten minutes just for fun, but Holsen had said 'immediately' and the quicker Ed dealt with whatever Mustang needed him to do, the quicker he could get back to Alphonse.

With a scowl that was always reserved especially for Mustang, Ed reached for his pocket watch where it sat on top of his black coat at the foot of Al's hospital bed. He slipped it into the pocket of his leather pants as he looked at his concerned -and sleepy looking- brother,

"Don't worry Al, I'll be back as soon as I can, the primary crime scene in under HQ so I won't be far." he reassured as he picked his gloves up and pulled the right one on first, wearing them more out of habit than out of necessity.

Alphonse nodded, still looking worried but trying to smile, so Ed reached out and gently ruffled his short hair,

"Try to get some sleep, Al, cause' when I get back I want you wide awake and rested so you can listen to me complain about Mustang." he grinned and Al smiled properly then, nodding again,

"I will, Brother."

With reluctance and annoyance, Edward patted and squeezed Al's boney shoulder once before turning to leave the hospital room, pulling on his second glove as he went. He left his coat behind because it was a lukewarm day outside and he would be able to get it once he was done with whatever Mustang wanted. He was grateful at least that he only had to make his way out to the front of –what was left- of HQ since he was in the hospital wing of HQ's military property.

Holsen relaxed –after some uncertain hesitation- when Ed mumbled for him to do so and then he followed Ed out of the room, but not before Ed glanced back and gave Alphonse a wink and a quick grin.

Once outside the room, they started making their way down the hall, Holsen walking just a step behind him. Edward let the scowl settle back onto his face then, because seriously, the last thing he needed was for Mustang to summon him to go on some stupid errand. He knew it couldn't be that he was needed for repairs or anything since just about everyone knew he could no longer use alchemy. So he could only assume it would be some menial task, and depending on just how many buttons Mustang was gonna push to piss him off, Ed started to think calculatingly of just how hard he'd clock the bastard for it.

They walked in silence, only the sound of Ed's combat boots and Holsen's military boots clipping against the linoleum could be heard over the sounds of ringing telephones and murmurs of conversations in the other hospital rooms and of people in the hallways that they passed. It was just before lunch time so standard visiting hours would start soon, and also it was time for shift changes so fresh nurses were starting their rounds.

Around a few corners, down a long corridor and then down a few flights of stairs and five minutes later Edward walked out of the military hospital and into the warm and windy weather of Central. He and Holsen followed along the concrete paved masonry edged pathway, walking for several more minutes and heading toward the gaping hole in the ground that served as the entrance to Father's underground 'lair', as it were. Although, in light of the fact that the entire front and middle section of the main building of HQ was completely destroyed, the hole in the ground didn't seem all that bad.

Edward subtly shook his head as he thought back to just two weeks ago, it had been a real living nightmare, fighting the powerful abomination that had been the ultimate homunculus. When he'd started on the journey to get Al's body back Edward could never have even imagined facing anything like Envy or Pride, let alone Father.

The sheer power…feeling the ultimate Gate opening, the immensity of the Truth looming, so admittedly frightening…

In the seconds before Ed had passed out, the air had been so dead and cold and still around Father…just like it was inside the Gate, only on a phenomenally larger scale. It still seemed surreal to think that for a brief moment, everyone in Central had been dead.

Edward looked back at the hospital building, now out of sight and quite a distance away, he was feeling anxious and wanted to return to Al's side as soon as possible. The younger blonde had been –unsurprisingly- having nightmares, something Ed had suffered with for years and Al had been spared due to his lack of ability to sleep.

It was catching up now though.

He faced forward again, seeing that they were nearing the loitering crowds of soldiers and alchemists hanging around the hole in the ground, several more men were still working further up at the front of HQ's main building.

The alchemists on site were free-lance, some volunteers and some hired to help clear up the rubble, debris and the general mess that was everywhere, and the place was starting to look less and less like a bomb had been dropped on it. It was no closer to being rebuilt since there were still investigations underway, but nevertheless, it was no longer completely trashed.

Edward pushed his bangs out of his face when the wind whipped up on the open front grounds. He'd just arrived at the rim of the gaping hole and he looked at the alchemized spiraling stone staircase that led down at least five stories below the ground. There was faint light at the bottom, no doubt set up by whoever had been working down there.

"The Colonel said he'd wait at the bottom for you, sir, he said you should meet him down there as soon as you get here." Holsen informed from just behind Ed and said blonde glanced at him, receiving another salute for his given attention.

That action seemed to alert the other soldiers around the disaster site that he was there and they all saluted accordingly, if a bit tiredly, and there was a chorus of the word 'sir' dutifully announced. It was bizarre. Edward figured it had something to do with him having been a key player in saving everyone's lives, and that that was why they all suddenly decided to start formally addressing him.

And damn it, it pissed him off, it'd taken him _years_ to shake off that military shit after he'd first been appointed a state alchemist.

He huffed quietly and glanced around at everyone, giving a few half nods before he stepped down onto the beginning of the spiral staircase, it was well constructed with high side rails so no one could fall off while descending. He wondered very briefly who'd alchemized it before he started making his way down.

It took at least four minutes to get to the bottom, he counted, and that was at a pace that wouldn't give him vertigo. It was hot and damp that far underground, Edward made a face as his black T-shirt and unfastened waist-jacket seemed like too many layers to be wearing. He reached the final four steps and jumped them, his boots landing in the sand and broken stone of the cavernous underground area with a puff of dust.

Edward glanced back the way he'd come, up at the opening overhead and he whistled long and even at the size and height of the cavern. Looking back, it was understandable that more of the place had caved in since the Promised Day, considering how many of the levels had already been in ruins. Ed glanced around the underground area next, but the daylight shining directly down the opening didn't help with visibility, it made everything beyond the circle of moderate light appear almost pitch black, which was unhelpful.

Edward waved his hand in front of his face as the dust filtering around made him cough lightly, and when he caught sight of his glove, no longer crisply white, but instead dirty from the rails he'd absently touched on his way down, Ed made an irritable face.

"Shit, shit...shit…" he grumbled as he dusted his hands on his leather pants uselessly.

With a deep sigh Edward made a mental recall of directions, and then he walked toward the area where the initial battle had taken place. Even in the dark he knew his way, having been down there quite a few times in the days immediately following the Promised Day. As his eyes slowly adjusted, Ed could see a little better around the dark space that was hardly recognizable since being caved in upon. He remembered how bad it'd been there when he'd made his way down after the battle to retrieve what had been left of Pride, and it was worse presently. It hadn't occurred to him then, but when he thought about it now Ed realized that the little shit had been lucky he wasn't crushed when the upper levels had caved.

"Fullmetal…" Edward heard Mustang practically grumble-huff out his name and he glanced in the direction of the voice, only to get an eyeful of a bright torch light,

"What the hell Mustang, you tryna' make me blind?" he said unthinkingly.

"It'd only be temporary, so I wouldn't bitch about it too much." Mustang said sounding very tired and annoyed as his footsteps crunched closer, the light averted to the side of Ed, no longer shining in his eyes.

Edward felt –just a teeny tiny bit- guilty for his insensitive blind quip, made so soon after Mustang had been blind, when he realized that the older man was guard down and weary,

"What the hell did you want me down here for? I wanna get back to Al so hurry it up." he sidestepped the impending banter and squinted into the dull lighting around them at Mustang once the man was standing only two feet away.

His skin looked slightly sweated and he wasn't wearing his uniform jacket or waist-cape, he only wore the pants, his dust covered boots and his white –though not so much right then- uniform shirt which was undone a few buttons from the top with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"Yeah, well, if you'd gotten here quicker you could have left quicker." he said back with a bland look on his face.

Edward's lips twitched downward in annoyance,

"Shut the hell up and tell me whatever it is already, it's hot down here." he complained in a mumble.

Mustang stared at him and then raised an eyebrow and blinked, before he tipped his head in a gesture for Ed to follow him,

"How do you think I feel, I've been down here for an hour." he complained as Edward followed him back the way Mustang had come, into a section near the darker corners of the underground area, where the light didn't reach at all, hence the torch Mustang carried.

Ed snorted,

"Now who's bitching?" and then he grimaced, feeling sticky under his clothes.

"I'm entitled to, I've endured it longer." Mustang said smoothly and Edward flipped him the bird despite it going unseen,

"Bite me." he mumbled.

They'd made their way into a smaller room in the back, way underground, but while it was smaller, it was hardly small. It was definitely empty though, as Mustang's torchlight cast over the space revealed, and Ed frowned when he realized it,

"You brought me to a hot room underground, miles away from civilization…" he exaggerated, "…that is totally **empty**?" and he glared weakly at the blob of white and dark blue that was Mustang behind the torchlight as they came to stop walking where the back dead end wall was. "Are you sure that your brain didn't get fucked up when you went into the Gate, or…" he changed his tone to amused, "…maybe Doctor Marcoh messed you up when he fixed your sight, after all, the eyes and the brain and pretty cl-…"

"Would you shut up and look at this." Mustang cut him off, flashing the light in his face most likely on purpose.

Edward wanted to clobber him, but he couldn't see him properly with all the white spots in his vision, so he decided to postpone any attempts for the moment,

"Bastard," he had to say before he squinted into the dark emptiness around them, "look at **what** , it's empty in here." he repeated as he took a few steps so he was standing just beside Mustang.

Right then the older man flashed the light on the back wall in a slow wide circular motion,

"This." he said quietly, and Edward looked at what the light revealed.

His eyes widened as he took in the sight, blinking a few of the final white spots out of his eyes before he squinted again, following the light where Mustang directed it over the large wall, "I found it minutes before I ordered everyone out and sent for you." Mustang said, tone noticeably more serious.

Edward blinked a few times when the Colonel moved the light too quickly to another spot and he reached out absently, missing on the first grasp but catching Mustang's hand on the second, and with a slide of their gloved fingers, Ed took the torch into his left hand when the older man let it go,

"So no one else has seen it?" he asked quietly as he focused the light where he wanted it to be.

On the wall was a large transmutation array, it appeared to be drawn onto the wall like most arrays were, but considering how pristinely white the chalk lines were, it looked like it was fresh, very recently done.

"Yeah, nobody knows why I sent everyone out. I figured it was best to let you take a look at it since it resembles some version of a human transmutation circle." Mustang said from somewhere behind Ed since the blonde had moved closer to the wall.

Ed shook his head, mostly to himself,

"It's not…"

"But it has the symbols for it," Mustang sounded uncertain even as he said it, "from the second inner ring to the base ring, sulfur, salt, mercury, lead, silv-…"

"Yeah, yeah, I can see that." Ed cut him off as he drew the torchlight down from the mercury symbol inward of the circle, "But you see these symbols, around the center of the circle…I don't recognize them." he shook his head again, eyes bright and wide, taking in the strange symbols with interest.

Mustang stepped up beside him and they both looked closely over the unfamiliar symbols, there were four in total, three positioned symmetrically around the symbol at the very center.

"I've studied alchemical runes and been inside the Gate more times than I ever wanted to and I have never seen symbols like these, they look like…doodles." Edward said disdainfully.

Mustang sighed beside him and Ed saw him glance from the runes to look at him with a smirk on his face,

"And here I thought you'd be useful."

Edward flashed him -with the torch of course- ,

"Really? We just found something that could be a fucking dangerous array and you're making jokes." he snapped, stressed because of the intricate design lined with shapes and words he couldn't read or understand the intention of due to the foreign symbols at the heart of the array.

Ed hated not understanding an alchemic array, it was like an itch he couldn't scratch.

Mustang swatted out at Ed when he'd flashed the light into the older man's face at such close range. Ed imagined his vision was far spottier and he smirked to himself. Mustang took a few steps back, pressing his fingers into his eyes,

"You just said it looks like doodles, you can't draw an array with made up symbols so it probably won't even work. Besides, no one is going to activate it anyway." he huffed quietly.

Edward had looked back to the symbols during Mustang's babbling and he narrowed his eyes at the symbols in the center. They did look like lazily drawn doodles, but he knew that it was dangerous to be naïve. The fact that they didn't know what the array did or the symbols meant was exactly what made it so dangerous, especially since it was down in that particular place, where the most dangerous and crazy son of a bitch homunculus had been shacking up. If it was his creation, the possibility of it being dangerous was guaranteed.

Ed memorized the symbols as he looked over them. The one at the middle looked like two lightning shaped strokes with curled ends parallel to one another and with a third crowbar shaped stroke running horizontally through them. Since it was at the middle it obviously symbolized the most powerful and necessary element of the array. The second one positioned above it was complicated, it looked like several strange and different fork ended rods, all meeting at the middle and pointing outward in a bizarre snowflake-like shape. The third one to the left of the middle looked like a backward small swirly letter 'h', and the last one to the right looked vaguely like a swirly upside down drawn snail…with two legs.

Edward made an annoyed face, it was unusual for him to not know what the hell he was looking at, it almost never happened, yet right then his mind was drawing a complete blank.

"Has staring at it been useful?" Mustang drawled from the darkness behind him.

Edward glanced over his shoulder, not even able to see the man,

"Hey, _you_ asked _me_ to come down here to _look_ at this," he pointed out, "now you're rushing me? Don't you wanna' know what it does?"

Mustang could be heard sighing,

"Yeah…okay, yeah, I'll get some people to bring more light down here so we can get some pictures of it. But before that I need to break the lines so the array is inoperative." he sounded like he was half asleep and muffled, Ed assumed he was probably rubbing at his stupid face.

He nodded absently,

"Yeah, just a sec, I wanna' memorize the whole thing so I can research it too." he mumbled. And because Ed had no alchemy to speak of anymore, it occurred to neither him nor Mustang to be wary about him touching it.

So, innocently enough, Edward raised his free right hand and touched his gloved fingers to one of the center symbol's lines, and he had barely begun to trail the chalk line and realize that it _wasn't_ smearing…before the circle lit up.

It started from the inside out, a blindingly bright white light which caught Ed right in the face since he was leaning so close. He just about heard Mustang curse and say his name because the array was emitting a sound, a suction sound and it was deafening, so loud Ed wondered if everyone above ground could hear it.

It all happened in split seconds as the light evened out over the large array, moving as though it was alive along the superficial lines of the design. And it **felt** alive, to Edward it felt as if someone was on the inside of it, or on the other side, pulling him toward it, into it.

It was then that Ed realized what was happening, and took in a sharp, loud breath, his eyes widening in panic as he watched his hand…his arm…his shoulder…disappearing into the wall, into the array…and it felt iced cold inside it, and the wall appeared as if it were a thick liquid, rippling outward from where his body was being pulled in.

"Shit! Mustang!?" Edward shouted, starting to freak out and he made the mistake of dropping the torch when, in his blind panic, he tried to put his other hand on the liquid wall for leverage to pull his other arm out of…of _whatever_ the hell it was that was turning his captured limb dead cold.

"Fullmetal? I can't see you! It's too bright!" Mustang yelled over the sound coming from the array, he sounded far away.

Ed made a noise of fear, eyes wide and terrified, when his second hand and then arm was sucked in instantly up to his elbow, which brought his face only inches from the rippling, cold, blindingly glowing wall.

His breathing was erratic and just before the bottom half of his face and his chest touched the ice cold shifting waves of the wall, Edward yelled,

"Mustang, the wall! I can't ge-…" he was cut off as his face went into the pulsing array.

There was noise, so much noise…and Edward felt like he couldn't breathe.

It was unlike any array he'd ever activated, especially when he shouldn't have been able to activate it in the first fucking place. Inside of it was cold like the Gate had been, but it was deafeningly noisy instead of silent and Ed felt immobilized and unable to breath or move as he passed into it. He felt numb from head to toe and was quite sure he'd lost all sensation…but then he felt something solid and warm wrap around his waist and tug him backward hard enough that somewhere inside of him, the pressure hurt vaguely.

There were a few more tugs that followed, the painfully tight band across his waist unrelenting and grounding as the only feeling Ed could identify through the surreal sensation of being nothing and nowhere, which was slowly becoming overwhelming.

Edward's mind, unlike his body, was thankfully still functioning, running a mile a minute and trying to latch onto something, _anything._ Ideas, theories, explanations, a plan. He decided it was safe to assume whatever was happening had something to do with the Gate, with Truth. The similarities in the array pertaining to human transmutation could not have been a coincidence. So Ed focused on what his trips to the Gate had felt like, the most recent one just two weeks ago, and he mentally broke it down as he failed to be aware of whether he was breathing or moving.

The first thing that he thought of was the flow of energy. The energy of Truth was always cataclysmic to the mind and stifling to the senses, always present inside the Gate, casting fear and more often than not, insanity on anyone who ventured into its infinite domain. But since his senses were all numb, Ed could only open his mind to the energy, recalling the equation of human transmutation as he attempted to form the matrix of energy within himself, as he'd done a thousand times before. He calculated and executed the array and math to perfection in his mind…but he couldn't tap into the energy and it frustrated him, because apparently his alchemy was **still** not working.

The band around his waist was slackening and Edward refocused on it, panicking as some part of his racing mind screamed at him that he **could not** let that hold weaken, something about it was very important. He desperately tried then, to feel for a familiar energy, or any energy in whatever deathly cold realm the array had taken him to, reaching with his mind, searching for the familiar spark of something awakening at his core, the sensation of heat and power…and then he felt it.

And it was a massive energy, surging freely _everywhere_ , completely foreign but pleasant and in abundance and it was within his reach. Edward couldn't feel his own extremities, but he could utilize his mental faculties and feel the heavy weight around his midsection, both sensations keeping him aware enough to know that he could get out of there somehow.

If the Gate hadn't been able to drive him crazy, cold and noise and numbness would **not** succeed.

When it came down to it, Edward Elric excelled in surviving when he was faced with the possibility of dying, you might even say he _thrived_ under such conditions. With a will and determination –stubborn, I will not fucking die attitude- worthy of the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward zeroed in on the energy he felt and just like he'd used the energy of souls to escape Gluttony's stomach and had used Alphonse's alchemy to bring them back through the Gate just two weeks ago, Edward again used the external energy source much in the way he'd use a Philosopher's Stone, drawing it into himself.

With crystal clarity in his mind, his _brilliant_ mind – and luckily his subconscious telling him to hang onto the weight around his waist -, Edward calculated the transmutation and the energy required and he tapped into the pleasant warm pulse of it with impossible ease.

As if it were meant to be used in excess.

Whatever happened next, happened fast…

…and maybe everything had happened within seconds, or maybe minutes, even hours, Edward couldn't guess since he'd felt suspended in blind numbness with nothing but a panicked and strained consciousness, but once he tapped into the warm energy standing out like a beacon of light in a dark cold place, Edward felt like the void left in the wake of his sacrificed alchemy had just been filled to overflowing.

* * *

 **I will try to get the next chapter, which will be longer, out soon.**


	2. Duo

**Everywhere I go, there's a sense of it**

* * *

Edward hit the ground hard and he rolled, once, twice, three or four more times before he slapped his hands down in an attempt to stop the motion of his body jarring against cold concrete. But it didn't help, because a second weight collided with him and propelled him down further and more painfully than before, rolling and rolling until he thankfully hit flat ground, landing on his back, and his momentum halted.

Edward let out a wheezing breath and groan at the same time, feeling like he'd been dunked in ice inside wherever the hell he'd been after the array sucked him in, and then winded from rolling down the…uh, eh…

Taking note that he could feel his limbs again –thank fuck- he weakly felt out with his gloved left hand at the surface beneath him and his hand met uneven ground that felt cold even through the material of his clothes.

So he'd obviously rolled down a slope of some kind.

Yeah… **ouch**.

He took in several short breaths as he lay there somewhat disoriented and for some reason unable to take in enough air, and with each inhale he noted just how damp, earthy and stagnant it smelled around him. Ed was trying to take stock of his senses so he could get a better idea of where he was, when he heard a groan that didn't come from him and instantly he snapped his eyes open – that sense now accounted for- and he looked down.

There was a head of black hair hanging off his shoulder…and the full **weight** of his commanding officer's body lying almost completely on top of him.

' _So_ _ **that's**_ _why I'm having trouble breathing.'_ Edward mentally griped, his eyes rolling irritably.

His arms were trapped at his sides and he could only reach Mustang's back so he patted there first,  
"Ey…ge-t up…" he was short on breath, couldn't manage to throw in a ' _you useless old man_ '.

When Mustang didn't budge, he patted a little harder, and when there was still no reaction, Ed shoved at Mustang's flanks, pushing up as much as he could without any proper leverage. The bastard was like dead weight,

"Ge-t the fuck…off me Mus-tang-…" he grit out as loudly as he could with so much weight on his chest.

After a groan of irritation from Ed, _finally_ the older man stirred, also groaning as he tried to orient himself, slowly getting his arms under him. Ed helped, by letting Mustang know to hurry the fuck up when he shoved at the older man's flanks again. And seconds later he was breathing easier after Mustang hefted himself up and was shakily balancing on his arms and knees, hovering over Edward and looking pale and confused.

Edward was still taking deep breaths as he stared up at Mustang and scowled,

"Do you weigh like a ton or something? You nearly fucking crushed me!" he yelled as best he could with his tense breathing. And that wasn't the least of it, Ed was aching all over because on top of the lack of air, Mustang's additional weight on the way down the slope had probably bruised him up pretty bad.

Shit…he really hoped the older man had bruises too.

Mustang glared at him. His hair was a royal sweaty mess around his face and he looked like he'd just been on the most unpleasant roller coaster ride of his life. Had they not just gone through some really weird shit, Edward would have burst out laughing. As it were, Mustang was **not** amused,

''I was damn near unconscious for a while, so I'm _sorry_ if holding onto you so you didn't get lost was inconvenient." he snapped, scowling right back and Edward narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth at what he'd just heard,

"So **I** didn't get lost! You ungrateful bastard, if it wasn't for me saving our asses you would have been _lost_." he sat up abruptly, teeth bared and Mustang fell back, just barely managing to avoid getting head-butted by the fuming teen, " **You** were the one hanging on to me!" he stated firmly.

Mustang just sighed in exhausted exasperation and moved to stand up when Edward did,

"Maybe I was, but I also didn't want to lose you in case I made it out, so it was mutually beneficial." he sounded annoyingly cavalier. Ed glared at him as the older man looked around, he was fuming so thoroughly that he didn't even notice that Mustang had stopped dusting his hands and pants off and was now staring at something,

"Mutually beneficial?" he said through clenched teeth, "I'll give you a mutually beneficial ass kicking!" he jabbed his finger into Mustang's chest.

But when the older man didn't respond, only swallowed tensely and continued to stare without blinking, Edward frowned and looked over his shoulder to see what he was staring at…and his mouth fell open. Ed's eyebrows rose and his golden eyes widened, catching the blue and white sourceless light shining down from above a giant arch which was centered at the top of the sloping stone platform they'd obviously rolled down. The arch, being as massive as it was, was pretty intimidating but it looked really old, weathered and unstable, and Ed briefly wondered how the structure was still standing.

But the strangest thing about it, the detail that arrested his attention, was what he caught a glimpse of inside the arch. It appeared to be a silvery thick essence moving very subtly inside the frame and creepier still was that it looked almost like transparent, liquid drapes. Additionally, the arch was emitting an energy that felt newly familiar,

' _It's just like the wall…'_ he frowned lightly when he realized it and then closed his mouth abruptly and turned to look at Mustang.

The older man was looking around, pale faced, at the far ends of the large dark cavern like place they were in. Edward had been subconsciously hoping that since the atmosphere – despite being chillier than before- was so similar to the underground area they'd been in, that Mustang had succeeded in pulling him out of the wall. It certainly smelled the same. But following the Colonel's gaze around the room right then, Ed knew that was not the case…it was actually so far from it that his stomach did an anxious, worried flip and he swallowed with an audible click in the pervading silence.

"Mustang…" he breathed out quietly.

"I know…" the older man's voice was equally quiet and a bit shaken. Obviously he also realized that they were in a different place after going into the wall, which beyond a shadow of a doubt, meant they'd been _transmuted_ and _transferred_ somehow, which was ridiculous and completely outside of any scientific bounds either of them knew of. Never in the history of alchemy had anyone even come close to creating an array that could deconstruct matter and reconstruct it again in a different location. And even if someone had, it'd definitely have been deemed illegal because it was just about the same as human transmutation, if not more complex in certain ways.

People were just not supposed to mess with human bodies; Ed knew that better than most.

He stopped staring around the large old auditorium-like room and looked at Mustang,

"We have to figure out where we are." he said as surely as he could while freaking the fuck out.

It was deathly silent down there, wherever there was, and Ed's voice echoed slightly making him wince. He regretted having yelled earlier.

Mustang spoke in a much lower tone then,

"I agree," he glanced at Edward and then looked back across the room, "that seems like the exit…" he pointed across from where they stood to a doorway, or rather, a door-less opening that led into a passage that was lit in a shadowy blue-green glow and had inky black tiling.

Edward blinked at it and then frowned, looking at Mustang again,

"We can't just go out that way, we have no idea where we even are. For all we know we're in some crazy alchemy cult's basement…or _worse,_ a foreign country that would love to get their hands on a pair of prominent alchemists from an enemy faction!" he whispered harshly, "Going in that direction would not be smart." he cut his hand through the air shortly, he was speaking sternly but in low tones.

And Edward could be honest with himself, and only himself, that the older man was grounding him. He was pretty sure he'd have been a lot more stressed and potentially dangerous to his surroundings if it wasn't for Mustang's experienced, calm demeanor there to help Ed not lose his shit.

Mustang looked at him now, as if he were a lump of useless clay,

"And what would your suggestion be?" he raised an eyebrow, "I can't try to transmute us a way out of here, Fullmetal. I'm not nearly as adept or _insane_ as you are when it comes to alchemizing doorways and passages, especially when we're so obviously underground and have no idea what is above us or how stable it is." he was speaking in his 'don't be an idiot' tone of voice, "And since you're alchemically impaired-…" he cut himself off, and not because Edward's eye twitched, but because he was thinking about something, "…wait, are you?"

Edward leveled him with a glare but it eased off as he trailed his eyes to the arch looming behind them,

"I don't know," he sighed, "I used the usual process of alchemy to get us here from wherever that array took us, but the energy source was different. I…I couldn't feel the Gate's energy." Ed glanced at Mustang, who was considering what he'd just said.

After a moment of Mustang not saying anything, Ed looked at the doorway, pausing for a second to stare at it as he weighed the risks of the two unknowns, before shaking his head and gesturing to the arch,

"We should go back the way we came." because at least he had an idea of what to expect in there.

Mustang's eyes widened, and regarding Edward as if he'd just lost his mind, he spoke in a low, incredulous tone,

"Don't be a moron, Fullmetal, we have **no** idea where that thing would take us or whether or not we'd even make it out alive a second time. It's amazing that we're both in one piece as it is." he insisted.

Edward clenched his gloved fists,

"You're being the idiot," when Mustang continued to look at him like he was sprouting new heads, Ed went on, "Logically, if it were possible to create a transference array, then by the laws of equivalence, it'd take you from one point where an array is, exactly as you are, to the other point where the exact same array would be. And as crazy as it might seem, this," he gestured between them and then at their surroundings, "was some sort of human transference transmutation."

But it was crazy, it was impossible!

Mustang shook his head and pointed to the arch,

" **That** , Fullmetal, is **not** alchemy. And it definitely isn't an array either." he said firmly, no room for argument.

Edward's frown deepened and he looked at the arch again. Mustang seemed really sure, and yes, it was true that the archway was in no way, shape or form any kind of an alchemical array. Edward briefly considered that maybe the roundish room they were in had a large array somewhere, or maybe that it formed the base circle itself…but he knew he was reaching, and it was because he was starting to get scared...because if it wasn't alchemy, then what the fuck could have moved their physical bodies from one point to another in one piece without any equal exchange? And if it wasn't alchemy, then where were they and _how_ where they there…and Alphonse, how far away was he from Alphonse? And what if….what if there had been an exchange, maybe something had happened at HQ an-

"…Fullmetal, we…" Ed realized Mustang was talking when the man addressed him and he blinked himself out of his oncoming panic attack, choosing to focus on the older man's voice, which seemed like an anchor right then when his mind was racing and he was questioning his reality, "-bet is to go out of the only visible exit, cautiously obviously, and we'll see our way from there. This place seems empty at the moment at least, or I'm sure we would have been discovered by now." he nodded, and Ed saw that he looked quite stressed as well, still pale too.

They were both having trouble dealing, because as scientists and alchemists, their situation was cause for serious concern on the basis of it being completely physically impossible and also, there was the fact that it appeared to be an untaxed human transmutation. After all, the Gate never let anyone off the hook. But then, Edward hadn't been able to feel the Gate, not since he'd given up his alchemy which had tied him to the energy of it, so how would he have even known whether it had been present or not?

The other energy had been present though, and it still was…in fact, it was permeating in the air around them.

Ed could sense it just as clearly as he had inside the arch, it felt as alive as alchemical energy, but **more** somehow. He wondered if Mustang could feel it too…and then he wondered if he could _use_ it. He'd used it inside that cold void but could he-…

"So, are we in agreement?" Mustang interrupted his train of thought, his tone irritable. He clearly wanted Ed to acquiesce. Edward blinked at him, wondering why the man wasn't just ordering him to follow, because while it never explicitly worked, Ed tended to do what his C.O told him…mostly, sometimes, in his own way, when it suited him. But hey, he wasn't going to bring up the whole rank thing if Mustang wasn't, besides, under the uncertain and bizarre circumstances they were in, he supposed that they needed to look out for one another more than treat this as a military situation. So he nodded.

He wasn't sure if he could use alchemy, but generally speaking, he didn't need it to whoop ass and besides, with the Flame alchemist there he figured they would have a decent advantage over whatever crazy alchemists or international enemies awaited them.

Together they walked as quietly as possible across the large room, their boots scraping softly on the rough stone, and when they reached the doorway they both craned their necks this way and that, looking down the length of the passage and trying to see people or doors or traps. It seemed empty, but the place was obviously not deserted because the lights were on, so they had to tread carefully anyway. After a shared glance of agreement, they started to walk down the door-less passage, Edward was a step or two ahead of Mustang.

When they reached the end, both squinting in the dull light, Edward felt slight relief at the sight of an open elevator…even though it was just waiting there. It wasn't eerie at all, really.

"Well this could be a good thing." Mustang mumbled as he glanced back down the passage, "Elevators mean we aren't stuck in some cave far away from civilization."

No, wait, it was totally eerie actually,

"Yeah, but we don't know what's up there." Ed muttered, starting to feel anxious again.

Mustang nodded and then shrugged,

"True, but we're going to have to find out…" he looked over at Ed. There was moderately steadier light streaming out from the elevator, so they could see one another better and the Colonel frowned, "…depending on what is up there though, it would probably be best if we didn't look like we just crawled out of a cave ourselves." he gestured at Edward.

The blonde glanced over what he could see of himself. There were dirt scuffs on his black jacket, shirt and pants, and while the leather pants would be easy to dust off, his other clothes, his hair and his face wouldn't. He had to figure he had dirt on his face considering that Mustang did, and on that note,

"You're in the same shape, bastard…" he huffed and then smirked, "…no, actually, you're worse cause' you looked like shit before I reported to you." he informed the older man, who looked very annoyed.

Without hesitating, Mustang began to dust his clothes off with annoyed vigor and he also tried to tidy his hair by running his _dirty_ gloved hands back through it. Edward just shook his head in disbelief,

"What the hell are you doing?" he half groaned.

Mustang glared at him and gestured to himself,

"I'm trying to make myself presentable." he said as if his useless actions were necessary.

Edward half rolled his eyes,

"Just use your alchemy, dumbass." he informed.

Mustang frowned now,

"I've never done that before…" he glanced over himself, "…I guess…it can't be that hard though." he was saying to himself.

Edward just shook his head again and glanced at his upturned, soiled, gloved hands. He wondered if he would be able to tap into the new energy instead of trying to use the Gate. It honestly felt like a wealth of free flowing energy, almost the same as the Philosopher's Stone, except it'd seemed limitless and pure.

Experimentally, he focused on the new energy as he usually would with alchemic energy. Mentally, he formed the necessary break down, calculations and the array in his head before he pressed his hands together in a soft clap…and his eyes widened when charges and shifting arches of dark purple energy flared up around his hands and arms. It was far more powerful than the alchemic energy he was used to and it felt **endless** , the sensation of its vastness swimming through his veins was intoxicating. It actually scared him a little, because he'd never felt so drawn to an energy before, it was new and invigorating.

Mustang had paused in his self-assessment when the purple energy flared up, and his eyes widened as Edward separated his palms, smirked and pressed his hands to his chest. In seconds, a wave of the energy moved through the various materials and fibers of his clothes and all of the dirt was removed, the residue of it breaking off into the air in small deconstructing particles, and a second energy surge repaired the damage to the fabric, leaving Ed's clothes looking good as new.

It was so much like alchemy, yet somehow, it wasn't.

But it was definitely better.

Mustang was blinking and looking shocked,

"So you can use your alchemy, but it's-…

"Different." Ed was smiling, staring at his hands.

Using the power of Envy's Philosopher's Stone had been disconcerting and had left a lingering crawling over Ed's skin afterward, and using normal alchemy had always produced exactly what was expected, there would be a controlled burst of energy and then a transmutation and then it was over until you accessed it gain.

But right then, Ed's skin was buzzing with residual energy, almost as if...

He didn't clap the second time before he touched a crisply clean gloved hand to his cheek, and Mustang's eyes widened further as he watched Ed remove the dirt from his face and hair with a new surge of energy, the residue dispersing into the air and leaving his skin clean and his hair still untidy but no longer dirty.

Mustang gaped,

"How did you-?"

"The energy, it's the energy I told you about inside the…in that thing we came through," Ed swallowed lightly, eyes alight, "it's like, it's different. I can-…" he wanted to explain further but there was a noise, a loud noise that came from somewhere above and they both fell silent and stood rigid for a second.

"Explain later, let's get out of here first." Mustang mumbled and glanced at himself again before looking at Ed awkwardly, "Just, uh, gimme' a second to figure this out."

Edward rolled his eyes and then smirked, thinking that if Mustang couldn't do it for himself, he would just help him. After all, Mustang was holding them up and, well, it was so good to have his alchemy –or whatever new version of it this was- back, that he was glad to do it. So without warning, Ed touched his hands together and then smacked his palm to Mustang's forehead –earning himself a grunt- and he formulated an equation for everything in his mind within seconds, from the different fibers of the Colonel's clothes, to the dirt on his skin and in his hair and then he applied it. In a quick crackle and flash, Mustang was made dirt free, with repaired clothes and his previously sweaty black hair looked a little more coiffed than usual.

The older man blinked dumbly through the after fizzles and then he abruptly smacked Ed's hand off his face,

"Some warning would have been appreciated, Fullmetal." he grumbled –like an ungrateful dick- and then ran his gloved hands over his now pristine white shirt.

"Oh, quit bitching." Edward waved him off, feeling way less anxious now that he had his full arsenal in play. He once again felt like the Fullmetal Alchemist, hell, he hadn't even realized he'd missed his alchemy so much in such a short time. He frowned though when he was reminded of who he'd given his alchemy up for, "Let's just find out where we are already and get back home." and as they stepped into the elevator, Edward felt a pang of worry over whether his brother was okay.

"Don't worry about Alphonse, Fullmetal." Mustang said knowingly –and how the fuck did he just know shit like that anyway?- and Ed pressed his lips together and stared at the floor, wondering if he was that transparent. "Your brother is in the military hospital, remember, surrounded by people he knows and trusts and he's being taken care of."

Edward just sighed and mumbled,

"Yeah, but even if I know that, he'll be worried because he won't know that I'm okay."

Shit, Ed didn't even know if he was really okay just yet.

With a sigh of resigned consensus, Mustang stepped forward to the –very weird- rotating lever and, hesitating more than he was probably proud of, he placed his hand on it…and once he touched it his shoulders relaxed a fraction,

"Okay…the lever is on what appears to be a '9'," he was totally guessing, because the lever dial was ten kinds of complicated, "so we need to get to the exit which would be on the first level, right…?" he looked over and Ed helpfully just stared at him, "…does that there look like a…hm, a '1'…or a 'G'?" Mustang asked uselessly and mostly to himself as he scrutinized the dial.

When it was clear he was getting nowhere fast, Mustang swallowed tensely and apparently just decided to go for it, turning the lever slowly and hesitantly to the left. And as it clicked onto the next mark -presumably to an '8'-, before he could move it again, the scissor gates, both the inner and outer, abruptly slid shut.

They didn't even have time to be confused about the apparently automated elevator gates, because they were too busy panicking. Edward's heart skipped several beats and both he and Mustang looked deeply worried when the elevator first jerked harshly, right before it started moving… **backwards**.

Mustang let go of the lever then and tried to balance himself on the wall, he and Ed were both stunned by the fact that the lift wasn't going up –or even down- like they'd both expected to happen, because that's how elevators were supposed to work! They were **not** supposed to _reverse_!

"What the fuck…?" Edward said through clenched teeth, eyes narrowing as he leaned heavily against the back wall.

Mustang also seemed more annoyed than anything else and when he glanced over at Ed, they shared a look of uncertainty but also determination, silently agreeing to be ready for anything.

After all, for the two of them, having taken on several homunculi and then Father just two weeks earlier, very few things would seriously rattle them. They were already over the fact that they'd been teleported somehow, or at least for the moment that detail was on the backburner, because what was crucial right then was finding out where they were. Exactly how they got there could come later.

After an abrupt stop, the lift did in fact go up, making Ed and Mustang brace themselves on the walls against the change of momentum, neither of them noticing the hanging handles above them. They were both standing a careful distance back from the gate though, and after another stop and jerk, the elevator was tugged forward. Ed was feeling pretty nauseous, the elevator ride was turning out to be the longest minute of his life, and when the elevator started to slow, they both tensed up, preparing themselves for another stop and jerk.

But that time, the elevator was approaching an opening as it slowed and as the lift settled to stop into place against the opening, Ed and Mustang just watched as the gate drew open -on its own- and they glanced at one another when a female voice made an announcement inside the lift.

 _-'Ministry Lobby and Reception Area, incorporating the security desk lifts, ministry munchies café, fountain of-…'_

Ed stopped listening to the words coming from absolutely no intercom device that he could see –so weird-, and he swallowed tensely as he focused on what was outside the elevator.

Walking by the elevator opening on a balcony level of some kind, were people going left and right in a hurry, and most of them just barely glanced into the lift at Ed and Mustang. Ed figured Mustang was thinking exactly the same thing as him when they glanced at each other again; they were definitely not in Amestris.

After sharing a subtle nod, with steady and slow steps they walked forward and exited the elevator. They crossed the narrow balcony then, as people walked around them and when they came to stop at the railing, they looked over the edge.

There was another level with a balcony below them and then a bottom floor that was fairly busy, people arriving and leaving the elevator area, some were in a hurry, others loitered and only a few spared them glances. Ed briefly glanced up and his eyebrows rose when he saw there were several more balconies –presumably with elevator levels- above them. He glanced at Mustang next, who had noticed as well, and then they both focused on the crowds of people walking and rushing by beyond the open gates of elevator area.

They both knew they had to go that way.

Mustang was looking around, scanning the area down below whilst behind them several people passed by, entering and exiting elevators. Ed watched a few of the people exiting as they walked away and he noticed they were disappearing around the corner at the end of the balcony.

He turned his gaze to the bottom level and waited, and sure enough, a minute later the stoutly woman he'd been watching appeared on the ground level. Ed elbowed Mustang's arm where the man stood beside him,

"I think that there are stairs over there, round the corner, let's get down to the ground floor and find a way out of this place." he glanced at the Colonel. Mustang looked over to the corner and then nodded.

They walked along the narrow balcony, Ed in front of Mustang, and after rounding the corner they descended the stairs, staying close to the staircase's golden banister.

Four flights down and they were walking across the ground floor to the gates leading out, still one behind the other. And as they walked out into a larger, noisier area, they both weaved through the growing crowd as best they could while trying not to gape at their surroundings.

They seemed to be in a _massive_ enclosed area filled with throngs of people rushing around, and with the way everyone was dressed it was probably some kind of business center. Ed was thrown by the sheer size and design of the place as he looked up at the high concave ceilings, completely tiled from the ground up. Also, there were _hundred_ s of bay windows to what appeared to be offices, stacked and in rows and rows on the walls throughout the area as far as he could see...and he could not see the end or beginning of the place. Then there were the several bizarre and large gold statues that Ed would have had a comment to share with Mustang on, had it not been for the loud drone of the bustling crowd making an attempt at conversation difficult.

Ed glanced over his shoulder then, just to make sure he hadn't lost the older man, and he noticed that as they walked, Mustang was staring at something in the distance with a deep frown on his face. Edward followed his gaze and it took a moment, but he spotted that the Colonel seemed to be watching the bright green flashes of light that were going off quite far from them, but in the direction they were heading.

As they walked closer and closer at an inconspicuous pace, weaving and sidestepping through the crowd, Ed was able to make out that the green bursts of light appeared to be originating from inside of…green flames. And as if that wasn't weird enough, his stomach lurched when he noticed people stepping into and out of several of the green lit –fireplaces? –, either manifesting from nowhere, or just…disappearing.

Ed's breath froze in his chest and before he could try and figure out what the hell he'd just seen, Mustang leaned in close enough to Ed's ear that his voice didn't carry,

"Did you see that?" he asked quietly, and both of them noticed the odd looks a few people were giving them.

To be fair, the whole whispering to one another with 'what the fuck' looks on their faces was bound to draw attention to them. Ed tried to neutralize his expression,

"You mean the _green_ flames that people are walking in and out of, randomly _appearing_ and _vanishing_." Ed hissed quietly, glancing at the older man just over his shoulder. Mustang's mouth pulled into a flat line as it often did when he was irritated with something he had no control over,

"Yeah, that."

Ed huffed quietly to himself, keeping his arms at his sides and his pace even, thinking that the whole place was too strange and something just wasn't right about it. He took a discreet but closer at his surroundings then, as they walked nearer and nearer to the weird fireplaces. Firstly, he assessed that the people in that place dressed really fucking odd. Seriously though, some of them had _pointed_ hats on. Most of the people were wearing long cloaks and hoods though, and some of them were even in different styles and various colors. Amidst them, there were a few more normally dressed people, wearing normal coats or jackets over their shirts and pants and skirts and tops. It was unsettling to note that they stood out like sore thumbs...which meant so did he and Mustang.

Secondly, what was with the several large circular openings built into the high walls and ceilings? Edward couldn't see where they lead to, and the size of them coupled with the way they loomed over the area was unnerving. Where they there to let something out…or something in?

He wanted to be reasonable, he wanted the place to make sense, but it was too ridiculous. For one, how could he try to find logic in the rows of lit green fireplaces that people were both appearing and disappearing from and into?

His head felt like it was spinning, there was a lot happening, a lot of unfamiliar and unscientific stuff and it was making his brain race as he tried to come up with explanations for it all.

Like the large _moving_ portrait banner that he just spotted, hanging suspended from the ceiling.

What the actual fuck? The only moving pictures he had ever seen were the black and white films you could pay to go and see in theatres…and what he was seeing right then on the banner, was **not** a picture film.

Edward forced himself to block it out, he forced himself to focus because they'd arrived at and were entering the massive passage that was lined with rows of the green flaming fireplaces. Ed was swallowing tensely and glaring distrustfully at the bursts of green flames when several paper airplanesflew over their heads. They were definitely made of _paper_ , and looked exactly like the ones he'd used to fly at Mustang when the older man was trying to concentrate at work. Except they weren't gliding like they'd been hand launched, they were flying like birds! Twitching and maneuvering through the air just above everyone's heads and weaving around the pointed hats, flitting and arching off into the distance.

He didn't realize he'd stopped walking until Mustang bumped into him and it bumped him into someone else.

He mumbled a distracted apology to the woman he'd bumped into and when she looked into Ed's face, her eyes widened slightly. He didn't pay too much attention to her though, because Mustang was talking quietly near his ear again,

"We should find a way out soon…" and his voice was really tense.

Ed figured he was probably just as affected by the gravity defying paper planes and the green people vanishing flames as he was. But then Ed realized what was actually making Mustang worried when a quick glance around alerted him to the fact that, standing several meters across the busy area and wearing a sort of police uniform, someone had noticed them and was staring.

"We don't have ID's like everyone else and the way we're dressed is drawing attention to us." Mustang was saying as he watched the green fires all around them. Ed drew his eyes away from the now frowning and suspicious looking uniformed person, to look at the older man,

"I've seen a lot of weird shit in this place, Mustang, but what I don't see is an **exit** , how the hell do we get out?"

Mustang looked at him eye to eye then, and tipped his head in a gesture toward the green fires bursting every time someone stepped in or out of them. And Edward gave him an ' _are you out of your bastard mind_ ' look, to which Mustang responded with a ' _you got any better ideas, brat_?' look.

Edward glared irritation and threat at him before he turned his gaze to the fireplaces again and considered how very much he did not have any other ideas. They both chanced a glance at the uniformed guy then, and saw that he was now talking to a second uniformed person and glancing over at them. Edward assumed that from the distance and through all of the people it was hard for them to tell whether or not they had ID badges or to really see their clothes properly, so it gave them some time.

Like…a minute.

As inconspicuously as possible, they maneuvered themselves closer to the large fireplaces. Edward turned to face Mustang once they were close enough to one and he quietly voiced his concern,

"You really trust this green fire shit, did I miss something?" he asked quietly, aware of more people starting to notice them. Mustang flashed a few smiles at people and managed to deter any females who might have been assessing them negatively. Edward barely staved off an eye roll.

"I've been watching them closely," Mustang glanced at him again, "people come in in one piece, so logically, they remain in one piece after they disappear." he explained with a smile that was directed at someone walking by.

"Wha-? Logical? No, it's…it's…"

"It's no less bizarre than moving pictures and flying paper airplanes, _and_ it appears to be the _only_ way out, Fullmetal." he said in a slightly firmer tone.

Mustang was actually sort of filling the role that Al usually did. Edward knew that he tended to do what he impulsively thought was best without actually reasoning with himself about what was actually best. And while he often pulled through, Alphonse had sometimes helped him see alternate solutions to problems that didn't include whipping out his alchemy and destroying a problem just to be done with it. And now Mustang was doing that and Edward _despised_ that he had to agree with the man's plan.

With Al he didn't mind, but admitting that Mustang was _right_ was like drinking milk.

It left an awful aftertaste in his mouth and made him nauseous, especially since Mustang loved being right.

He couldn't be stubborn about it right then though, more people were starting to stare at them and they had no idea just how bizarre the place could get, and Ed didn't really want to find out when it could be avoided. If they would ever have a chance to try and figure out what the fuck was going on, it'd be anywhere but right there.

And it seemed simple enough really, people just stepped in and disappeared in a flash of fire, very simple if you ignored how impossible it was. Ignoring it didn't, however, stop Edward from wondering how people knew where they were going. Did they just think it? Honestly, it wouldn't surprise him by that point.

"We have no other choice, Fullmetal." Mustang muttered more urgently and edged Ed closer to the nearest fireplace. He didn't get a chance to respond though, because Mustang pushed him forward firmly, ahead of himself, and into the unlit fireplace, because apparently Ed would be going first. He was actually stunned into stillness when the flames didn't shoot up instantly, and he swore to himself then that if he died from burning alive or something, he'd come back from the dead just to kill Mustang.

As it were, he was already in, so why not?

Confused as to what to do next, as he turned around to look at Mustang, Edward asked through clenched teeth,

"How does this thing even work, and where are we going?" and Mustang's eyes widened, he looked stumped.

' _Hah! He hadn't thought of that, dumb bastard.'_

The mental victory didn't have a chance to turn verbal though, because without any prompting there was a burst of flames that rushed up around Ed and the brightness of it tainted his sight in green spots. And Ed didn't have time to think or reassure himself that he'd be okay, because all at once his skin started to prickle and a superficial warm sensation moved over him wherever the flames licked. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest, felt it almost painful with each beat, his stomach felt like it shriveled up and then came the same suction noise he'd heard from the array, and it deafened him.

Between one blink and the next, Mustang disappeared and Ed felt himself being pulled up harshly. His stomach turned over and he was instantly nauseous, he felt pressurized on all sides and he shut his eyes tightly when everything –people, places, noises- all flooded by him. He was unable to take a breath, his pulse raced and he felt as though he was hurtling through a narrow, windy tunnel at unnatural speeds...

* * *

…and then, just as suddenly as the horrible noise had stopped when he'd been inside the pseudo-Gate, it ended.

The next thing Ed knew, his feet hit solid ground, but it was so sudden –and uncoordinated- that he stumbled forward as if he'd been shoved, reaching out and catching himself on the first thing he could as his eyes snapped open.

In one piece, breathing heavily, his eyes wide open, Ed stared at the small table top on which his hands were firmly planted. He swallowed dryly, throat clicking, and he blinked a few times before he looked around slowly, taking in his new surroundings. It was very quiet around him and there were small round tables –like the one he was leaning on- and chairs throughout what appeared to be some sort of a café. It was cozy-ish, a quaint shop with windows lining the front of the store, it actually seemed pretty normal. That was until he looked around inside again and he noticed a woman sitting behind the main counter…reading a book –with a moving cover!- and, amazingly, she seemed not to have noticed he was even there.

Quickly, Ed turned around, his braid swinging with the force of it, and he stared at the large dead fireplace in the wall behind him. He tried not to panic when he saw no green flames and no Mustang, there were only black coal pieces, that Edward swore were just decorative, lying in the bottom.

Edward glanced at the woman again, running a gloved hand over his mouth as he considered his options, and he was just about to get her attention, when the flames flared up and Mustang fell –yes he _fell_ \- out of the fireplace. And on his stumbling way…he took Edward down with him.

In the wake of their collision, they wound up knocking the nearest chairs and table over, making quite a racket to accompany Ed's loud cussing about Mustang weighing a ton as they lay in a heap on the ground, Ed crushed and winded under Mustang's greater weight, _again._

When the older man rolled off of him, Ed got his sprawled arms under himself quickly and sat up to glare at the Colonel,

"You _really_ need to lose weight, Mustang." he griped.

Mustang had also sat up and he was looking around just as Ed had when he first came through,

"Hah," he blinked, "it worked. I can't believe it." the older man said in hushed shock as his eyes wandered around, and he did a double take when he spotted the woman sitting behind the counter.

Ed looked too, to find that she was staring at them now, not accusingly or in confusion, but instead, she seemed annoyed.

They got to their feet at the same time and Mustang immediately smiled indulgently at her, putting on his most charming look, which made Edward want to smack him for how overconfident he was,

"I apologize young lady," she wasn't even that young, and Ed made a face of ' _this fucking guy'_ as he looked anywhere but at his embarrassing C.O, "we're just a bit tired and in a terrible hurry." Mustang made a vague excuse for their clumsiness when coming out of the flames which, judging by her lack of concern over their sudden appearance, she was not unused to.

As it always seemed to, Mustang's fake charm made the middle aged woman's annoyance disappear and she stood up, turning out to be quite short once she got off whatever stool she'd been sitting on, and she came around the counter holding her moving picture book closed against her chest with one hand while holding a thin, foot long stick in the other.

And that was odd, but then, everything there was odd…like the other moving pictures Ed could see on the shop's walls, and also the fact that it was late night outside when it'd been midday at the time when the array had pulled them in. Edward raised an eyebrow and clenched his fists absently, unsettled by the absurdity of so many hours having passed when to him it felt like it couldn't have been more than an hour or so since he'd left Al at the hospital.

"Oh, don't you worry, love, it's not a problem." she was smiling at Mustang with equal smarm as she spoke in an unusually twangy accent, "Can I get you two anything, a nice cup of tea and a slice of chocolate cake perhaps?" she came to stand a few feet from them near the collapsed chairs and table.

Edward remembered then that his wallet had been in his coat, so he didn't have any Cenz on him. And he was just about to facepalm at how much more difficult that would make things, when the woman raised and flicked the stick she held in a gesture aimed at the table and chairs,

"Erecto." she said offhandedly.

Mustang froze and Edward stepped back twice in quick succession, neither able to take a breath when the table and chairs erected themselves, floating and shifting until they were back in perfect order.

The short woman frowned at them,

"Everything alright?" she asked as though she hadn't just inexplicably righted the tables and chairs by waving a stick at them.

There was a beat of silence and then,

"Yes, yes everything's fine." Mustang said stiffly, his smile a bit more forced that time, as he grabbed Ed's jacket shoulder roughly and yanked the teen, who was still processing, toward the door, "Thanks for the offer but we're in a hurry!"

The second Mustang pushed the door open, the little bell overhead going off as they stepped out, they both tensed when they were dampened by light, chilly rain. Each of them shivered, and Ed let the door to the warm shop close behind them. Mustang made a frustrated noise,

"How the **hell** is it this cold, it's not even mid-autumn?" he asked uselessly, because how the hell would Ed know?

Ed noted that he sounded even more annoyed and upset than he had since they'd first arrived in that bizarre place through the arch. He watched as the older man hunched his shoulders up against the rain and exhaled loudly, turning to look at Ed, and said teen just shrugged at Mustang, knowing the Colonel was just as fed up with all the weird unexplainable shit that was going on as he was.

Edward definitely agreed that it was ridiculous for it to be so cold at that time of year and the feeling of the rain water soaking through his clothes only made matters worse, so he understood Mustang's frustration. They had to face facts though, because the longer they were in that strange _place_ , the more obvious it became that too many things were different, too many things were inexplicable.

If time was different somehow, then maybe it wasn't the same day…hell, maybe it wasn't even autumn.

Ed squeezed his eyes shut briefly in an attempt to clear his thoughts, and then he started walking away from the light cast outside through the shop's windows. He bumped into Mustang as he passed to jar the man from his distracted staring at the wet ground,

"Let's take a look around, we need to figure out our next move." he suggested, knowing that neither of them wanted to go back inside after seeing that woman do what she did with the stick. It had unsettled them both.

Mustang sighed and followed. Ed could hear the man's boots scuffing along with his own steps as they walked away from the 'Rosa Lee Teabag' shop. The Colonel was walking more or less beside him in the empty, narrow, dark, uneven street, and after a minute of silence he spoke,

"Our next move?" he scoffed, "Fullmetal, did you not _see_ what she did with that stick? And the green fire and the god damn life-like p-paper planes and the…the moving pictures…" he sounded like he was panicking. Ed could tell because despite not raising his voice, his tone was tight and almost raspy with stress.

It was not surprising to Edward that the older man's composure was cracking. Because generally, the weirder shit got, the more Ed tended to take it in his stride and start focusing. Frequenting the Gate like he had and being swallowed by a Homunculus would do that to you…heh. And yes, Mustang had had his fair share of experience with weird shit, but it didn't mean he didn't have limits. Even Ed had limits…his were just far more extreme than other peoples.

Having seen that woman use her stick-thing to execute and channel some kind of energy command, had clarified for Edward that the energy he was utilizing as a substitute for his alchemic energy was the predominant power in that place. He'd felt the rise and flow of it around the inanimate furniture at the time. And while it made no sense whatsoever that a spoken word could command an action that should have required deconstruction and reconstruction in alchemy to achieve that result, it was clear that it could be done.

He'd witnessed it with his own eyes and as they say; seeing is believing.

And he knew now that the energy was in fact limitless, he'd felt it again when the shop lady had used it. Even more amazing was that Ed could tell it went beyond the Philosopher's Stone's power. It allowed not only for bypassing the laws of equivalence, but apparently gravity and physics as well. Edward was wary of it, he felt more than a little unsettled about how some people might use such a potentially dangerous energy, but at the same time he was personally curious about it, curious if he could use the energy the same way…curious about what he could do with it. Could he bypass all calculation and transmutation laws and just _execute_ a command?

They'd walked a fair distance down a quiet main street of sorts, it was lined by shops that looked old and under the white street lights the buildings looked poorly constructed, leaning and unlevel. They were walking slowly through the rain, Mustang just a step behind and beside Ed, both looking around, neither with a plan in mind.

But they needed to come up with something.

Forcing thoughts of the energy and the curiosities that were forming with them out of his head, Edward turned his thoughts to his and Mustang's predicament. He and Al had been stranded in small towns before and managed, so if he focused on just the fact that they were stranded in a small town and _nothing else_ right then, then he could deal. No biggie. Deciding that, he glanced around again, the street they were in was empty and most of the shops were closed, a few lights on here and there but mostly on the upper stories.

Ideally, what they needed was an Inn, maybe a motel or a hostel, or a BnB, but then even if they found a place like that, there would still be a problem with paying for it.

If he didn't have any Cenz on him, he doubted Mustang had either, and then there was also the question of whether Cenz was the currency of whatever place they were in. Ed doubted it, he really did.

Still, they needed to eat and get some sleep, because if they could rest, then tomorrow they could reevaluate their surroundings and circumstances in daylight and with clearer heads. So their priority was currency…

He stopped walking outside one of the shops, letting the dim light from its window cast over him and Mustang, who stopped as well, just a foot away. He was clearly as cold as Ed was, his black hair shiny and flat against his head and his clothes sticking to him as he shivered. Ed knew he looked just as bad, he certainly felt like shit.

"We can't do anything if we freeze out here, we need Cenz…?" it was partially a question, he was hopeful that maybe the older man had some on him, it wouldn't hurt to try.

Mustang shook his head, tensely rubbing his hands over his wet shirt sleeves,

"I was working, I didn't have anything on me down there." he said through lightly chattering teeth.

Edward grimaced and shifted on his feet, his left leg was starting to hurt from the cold by that point. He was just about to suggest they find a dark corner somewhere and alchemize a shelter for them so at least they could stay dry, but then when he looked around for an alleyway, further down the street he spotted an overhead sign that read 'The Leaky Cauldron, Pub and Inn.'

Immediately a solution popped into his head, something he'd never have considered before because it was illegal, but right then they were desperate, so,

"We could transmute some gold, Mustang." he said quietly, leaning closer to the older man when he said it as if someone might hear. The colonel frowned at him and Ed just cocked an eyebrow because he was expecting exactly this; a lecture about how he needed to stop partaking in selective criminal activities whenever it suited him, and then an agreement, because Mustang was a corrupt enough bastard that he and Ed saw eye to eye more often than not.

But Mustang was apparently at his limit already, because Ed received no lecture and an instant agreement in the form of a huff and a tense nod,

"Fine, but do you think people will just accept gold as payment?" he raised a skeptical eyebrow and shifted from side to side on his feet. It was a good question, and Edward again just considered making a shelter and a fire that they could huddle around, after all, what else was Mustang good for? But sleeping in the open would make them vulnerable, especially when they didn't know what to expect come morning.

Ed shook his head and then decided on their best course of action,

"This place is weird enough, right? And no matter what, gold should be universal. So I think it's worth a try…" Mustang frowned and Ed shrugged, "…and I'll make it into coins so it's less conspicuous, alright?" he huffed and then glanced around, looking for a suitable source to extract gold from.

He saw quite a few things that would contain enough copper for a small amount of gold, but then again, the construction materials of the buildings looked so old it was possible just about everything contained copper. Lead would be better, but copper would do fine. Mustang was looking around too, looking paler and colder by the second, and he took a few steps back and squinted around the corner of the building they were standing in front of,

"Ed, here." he whispered as he walked away, disappearing around the corner.

Ed quickly followed him into a small side gulley next to the shop. He came to stand beside Mustang to see what he'd found and Ed raised his eyebrows when he saw what Mustang had seen. There were old ceramic tiles, which would contain small amounts of lead in the glaze, lining the shop's side window ledges, and as luck would have it, someone had placed a shelf of some sort inside, so that it mostly covered the very back window from view.

Seeing how close together and cluttered everything had been in the small tea shop, Ed guessed that this shop might be just as cluttered inside, hence the covered window. Whatever the reason, it was perfect.

They stepped up close to the window ledge, both quietly counting the tiles in the low light from the other windows.

"Sixteen tiles," Mustang mumbled, "metals and minerals are your specialty Fullmetal, how much gold can you get?" he asked quietly, still rubbing his arms. Ed was doing the same, his teeth starting to chatter as well,

"Uh…lessee'…" he pried his cold, stiff hands off his arms and ran them over the tiles, able with expert ease after so many years to feel the varying elements within whatever material he was touching, "…not much…probably about five fairly sized coins," he looked at Mustang who looked thoughtfully to the other window ledge, but then Ed had to let him down by gesturing to said window, "five coins, **if** I use all the tiles on that window ledge too." because the tiles weren't heavily laden with lead, giving him less to work with.

Mustang hung his head for a moment in exhaustion while subconsciously, Ed wondered if he could just use the new energy to create gold from nothing. After all, the Philosopher's Stone had made such a thing possible, and since the new energy was more powerful and unlimited than the stone, why wouldn't it work?

When Mustang raised his head again, they stared at each other for a considering moment and then the colonel sighed,

"Okay, so five coins. And its gold, like you said, it's a universal commodity and it's probably guaranteed to be worth more than any normal currency." he stopped talking abruptly, staring at Ed expectantly. Apparently that had been a question directed at him. Ed frowned and gave Mustang a once over, noticing then that he actually seemed a little twitchy, unfocused even. And he could only spare Mustang a 'you're so useless' look when he realized that just like when it rained and the older man's alchemical specialty was rendered ineffectual, in the cold Mustang's brain seemed to start shutting down too. And that was a bad thing, because Edward was pretty much the same in too cold conditions, so pretty soon they'd both be useless.

"Yeah, sure…" he mumbled in response and then wasted no more time before he quietly touched his palms together and pressed them to the tiles. Ed flinched as the purple light sparked up brightly and he saw Mustang looking around to see if anyone was anywhere around. Not wanting to perform a second transmutation, Ed extended the scope of his equation to the second window ledge and extracted the traces of gold from the other tiles in one go.

After thirty seconds the reaction energy tapered off and the window ledge tiles were left looking a little brittle on the surface, and left behind were five slim, 30 mm sized coins. The lead material had just barely been enough to make even that and Ed had been tempted to test his theory of creating gold from nothing, but something told him to wait until he was alone to try that. And anyway, the coins were fine. They weren't counterfeit and he'd made them presentable enough to be offered to someone, he'd even added reeded edges and had made them plain instead of adding any personal touches –i.e: horned gargoyle faces.

Mustang reached out and swept the few coins off the ledge and into his palm, and before Ed could even blink, the colonel grabbed his forearm and was pulling him out of the gulley, turning the corner and heading down the narrow main street toward the same Inn Ed had spotted earlier.

Apparently Mustang had been paying attention.

After some stiff, huddled walking and slight splashing of puddled water underfoot, they reached the building where the sign was hanging…and found no entrance.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Mustang cursed and Ed looked at him with round eyes. Mustang cursing was really rare and it was a clear indicator of just how close to the end of his tether the older man was. Edward looked up at the sign again, and he could see windows for the Inn above their heads, higher than he and Mustang could see into, but there was literally no entrance.

Edward looked at the wall of the building and touched his wet gloved hand to it, walking alongside the wall a few steps as he felt over the bricks,

"What are you doing?" Mustang asked with clicking teeth. Ed guessed that in the last two weeks the colonel probably still hadn't figured out that his little trip to the Gate afforded him some privileges in alchemy. Then again, Ed had never asked Al if he could do it, so maybe it was just Ed who could tell an object's materials, weight and stability just by touching it, since he'd been through the Gate so many times.

Thinking of Al immediately upset him, a burning worry and guilt settling in his stomach as he thought about how many hours had apparently passed. He didn't want to think about how Al would feel and react when they inevitably told him that he and Mustang were missing.

And missing they were, because wherever they were, it was no place near to home.

Ed stopped walking and pressed his hand firmly flat to the wall, he'd been looking for something _weird_ and he'd just found it,

"Here." he said and his breath puffed out lightly, warm in the cold air. He waited until Mustang came over to his side, "The wall is different here, there's no wood, tile, wiring or glass…it's just stone bricks." he informed, and then realized he hadn't felt wiring _anywhere_ in the wall.

Huh. That was weirder.

Mustang just nodded, confirming he understood so that Ed could go ahead.

Ed glanced around the eerily empty street,

"I'll make it quick." he said quietly, hoping no one would see the alchemic light as he pressed his hands to the wall to transmute a doorway, and Mustang narrowed his eyes when he noticed that Ed hadn't put his hand together first.

Edward mentally scolded himself for the slip up, but then he frowned and refocused when he felt some resistance in the transmutation, which was unusual, and for a second the wall felt like it was…confused…? Or maybe he was confused because walls couldn't be confused, right? Ed didn't let up though, overriding the resistance easily and after a few seconds extra delay to his transmutation, slowly the purple energy cut to a form and it crept along the wall in a neat, perfectly symmetrical rectangle of arching light, which tapered off and left behind a stone door with an elaborate –unnecessary- frame and design.

Mustang made a sound that Ed interpreted as annoyed disapproval over the pointless extra finish, but neither said anything about it and instead Edward carefully opened the door and they both peeked into the other side.

And what they saw was perfectly anticlimactic, which was really relieving. There was nothing behind the door but a small enclosed back entrance type of deal with a few barrels and bottles stacked up in a corner and some steps leading up to a door.

"What's the point of having an entrance behind a wall?" Mustang muttered sourly.

"Something tells me we don't want to know the answers to any questions about this place." Ed mumbled back and then walked through the stone doorway, Mustang doing likewise after him.

Ed transmuted the wall back to its original state once they were through and he flinched back, astonished, when the wall shut his alchemy off a bit sharply, fizzles of energy breaking off abruptly and crackling into the air. The sensation of it made his heart race and his nerves rattle, because walls should not be able to feel **annoyed**.

He glanced at the colonel, but the man hadn't been paying attention to him and didn't see, so Ed chose not to say anything about it to Mustang. Not right then. It was too weird and the older man was already on edge. Maybe he'd mention it tomorrow or something.

Or maybe he'd wake up tomorrow and it would all have been a freaky dream.

Swallowing tensely, Ed neutralized his features before he turned to Mustang, who was shaking his head,

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually agree. Whatever this place is, I don't think we're going to like it." he said quietly, his mouth drawn in a tense line, jaw clenched so his teeth didn't chatter.

Ed absently rubbed his gloved hands over his arms, glancing around the mostly empty space and after they shared a glance, they both looked at the plain wooden entrance door. Ed guessed that since it was an Inn and a pub, there were likely to be people inside. And their last encounters with people had been disturbing.

"Keep your game face on, Fullmetal," Mustang said seriously, "no matter what we see in there, we're better off trying to blend in, so just shrug it off, even if it gets weird."

Ed blinked at him blandly, wanting to point out that out of the two of them, Mustang was the one having trouble dealing, but he thought better of it, not the time or place and whatever. Instead, he pointed out something else,

"Yeah, that's a great plan, _except_ we're not wearing oversized creeper cloaks or ridiculous hats, so I think we already stand out too much to blend in." he grouched quietly, cold and wary of entering.

The colonel rubbed a wet gloved hand over his equally wet face and after he'd dragged his hand off his chin, he sighed heavily,

"Well, nothing can be done about that right now, so let's just go in, ask for rooms and hope for the best." he suggested, sounding defeated and probably just tired of being outside in the cold.

And Ed couldn't really find a problem with wanting to get out of the cold in a hurry, so after shrugging in agreement, he followed the older man up the short steps and Mustang quietly opened the door, Ed walking inside first, Mustang following and closing the door behind them. Thankfully there was no bell above the door like there had been at the tea shop, so their entrance didn't draw any attention, and even more thankfully, it was _warm_ inside.

Ed could hear the sound of a large crackling fire, which was likely responsible for the comfortable and welcoming warmth, and Ed soaked it up with a deeply relieved look on his face, giving his wet jacket sleeves one last rub as he sighed. Mustang was shaking his arms out at his sides and dripping all over the place, so was Ed mind you, while glancing around the corner to where Ed could see several unoccupied small round tables and one long table. And looking up, Ed was surprised to see a large metal candle-lit chandelier hanging by _chains_ from the ceiling.

After a moment of peering into the pub area, they glanced at each other to confirm they were both ready and then they walked out of the side passage and further into the pub area, glancing over the cluttered chairs and stools and tables with candle lamps on them. The place was dimly lit due to having only candle lighting and Ed wondered again about the lack of electrical wiring, was there no electrical power? Had they gone back in time through that array?

He swallowed down a swell of panic and took Mustang's advice, keeping his game face on. Ed looked across the pub, seeing a staircase off by the far wall and he assumed it would lead to the Inn rooms. He had purposely ignored the old moving pictures on the walls when they'd entered, but he couldn't have avoided noticing how dusty the frames had been, in fact, everything, from the walls themselves and the floor, to the table tops, the bar tops, the glass bulbs of the lamps, it was all dusty.

The place was actually very dank and in contradiction to the significant warmth, overall, it was very unwelcoming for an Inn.

"Cheery place." Mustang muttered sardonically beside Ed as they stood just inside the pub, and Ed just snorted. They walked a bit further in then and Ed saw that there were two openings to a serving area on the left side of the pub, and he was about to point it out to Mustang when he heard low voices. They both went rigid when they looked into the back corner of the pub and realized that there were four people they hadn't noticed there before, probably because of all their dark robes and the bad lighting. They weren't paying attention to Ed and Mustang though, didn't seem to notice them as they huddled close and talked in low tones, totally absorbed in whatever, while somehow managing to add to the unwelcoming feel of the place without even trying.

Edward and Mustang both turned away from the huddled group and exchanged a wary glance before they looked at the serving area at the same time. Ed blinked when he saw a hunched over and rather uneasy looking man standing there, watching them from behind the counter. And he hadn't been there a few seconds ago, so, that was creepy.

To Mustang's credit at least, despite being wet and useless for the most part, he had unrivalled social skills when he wanted or needed something, and he was flashing his best wet and confused smile at the old man within a second of seeing him, approaching the counter without warning so Ed had to quickly fall into step with him. Edward managed to look only slightly lost while Mustang greeted the man,

"Good day-uh…evening, sir." he corrected himself casually, "I would shake your hand, but my friend and I are terribly wet from the rain." he laughed awkwardly, raising his wet gloved hands but making no move to remove the soaked material. Edward just blinked and stayed very quiet.

The old man just gave them a slow once over, but Mustang was undeterred and still smiling,

"We were hoping to find a double room for the night, do you have any available?" Mustang asked pointlessly –because hello, the place was so obviously empty- and Ed gave him a sidelong look of annoyance while the man behind the bar, still looking at them suspiciously, trailed his eyes from Mustang to Ed and then back to Mustang. Ed counted to five before the old man smiled thinly,

"Course', course', s'not like business has been good with all that's going on." he said quietly, also speaking in a twangy accent like the lady from the tea shop.

Ed wondered what 'all that's going on' meant and he assumed Mustang did too since he frowned slightly at the old man's words. But neither of them cared enough to ask right then, they just wanted to be warm and dry and sleep and Ed figured they'd sort stuff out the next day.

"Great, so you have a single room with two beds?" Mustang asked, probably rethinking the idea of them getting separate rooms for the sake of safety and because they had so little gold. Ed decided to leave him to sort it out, turning away from the bar and walking over to the long table. There was a lamp there and just beside it was a newspaper with more moving pictures on it. Ed was sort of over the moving pictures already, it was actually the newspaper that had attracted his notice, because a newspaper meant _information_.

He glanced at the people in the corner and figured it wasn't their paper, so he picked up the relatively thick paper and folded it over once before he walked back to where Mustang was.

"…with gold, Tom?" Mustang was saying as Ed came to stand next to him again. They'd obviously been introduced and Tom raised his eyebrows,

"Course' ya can." he was smiling a bit less suspiciously now, and apparently he didn't find them having gold currency on them to be odd. Mustang smiled back and it was a fake, Tom didn't know it, but Ed did,

"That's great," the older man glanced to the menu chalkboard up on the wall, which mostly listed variations of…the same soup, as far as Ed could tell. And next to each line was what Ed assumed were price denominations, "will this be sufficient for a night's stay and a meal?" Mustang asked, setting down all five of the coins.

Whatever a sickle of currency was, Ed just hoped the gold would cover it. He also hoped the newspaper would be helpful with that, there had to be a finances page in it because every newspaper always had that section.

Tom picked up the gold coins and he gave them a scrutinizing look. They were smooth and round, completely real gold, and after a tense moment for Ed and Mustang, he nodded, seemingly satisfied with it,

"Gold's gold, so that'll be fine, breakfast included." he winked and closed his hand around the coins when Mustang smiled, secretly relieved, "So what'll ya have to eat, gents?" he gestured to the menu.

It seemed as if soup was the main option, but as their eyes trailed downward they both settled on a –familiar- decision and said at almost the exact same time,

"Steak and kidney pie."

Tom's eyes went curiously wide for a moment before he smiled, nodded and hobbled away.

The minute he was out of ear shot, Edward glanced around them to double check that no one was nearby and then he looked at Mustang,

"Aside from the moving pictures, this place seems just like any run down, small town establishment back home." he said quietly enough that only Mustang would hear.

"Been in many run down places, have you Ed?" the older man was smirking, having relaxed a little because of the relative normalcy of the place, but like Ed, he was still wary and worried.

"Yeah, I have bastard, remember all those shitty mission runs you used to dump on me." he halfheartedly glared at the older man.

Mustang huffed a sort of amused noise out, but before he could respond, Tom came back and placed two plates with large, seemingly well stuffed, pies in front of them,

"To drink?" he asked.

"Beer?" Mustang sounded hopeful and when Tom nodded Ed half rolled his eyes,

"Water, please." he answered and after another nod, Tom walked down to the end of the bar behind the counter.

They both pulled up stools then and sat down, waiting until they had their drinks and after Mustang took a sip of his beer, Ed raised a questioning eyebrow as the older man licked the foam off his top lip,

"Tastes like beer."

With that confirmed, they both started to eat.


	3. Trēs

**A/N: For the full summary, detailed tags and reference images for this story, please visit the AO3 upload. FF limits several things.**

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 **Stepping sideways between worlds, I shift**

* * *

The room they were shown to wasn't large but it wasn't terrible, and it also wasn't dank like the pub or too dark since the lamps were all lit for them before they got to the room. Edward walked over to the single bed nearest to the window, dropping the newspaper onto it and he nearly sat down before he remembered he was still wet. He looked at his hands for a moment, while Mustang was looking around the room, and he wondered again about the seemingly limitless well of power he had access to.

He decided he should tell Mustang about it, but first he clapped his hands and touched them to his chest and within a few seconds the water evaporated out of his clothes and hair and he was left steaming lightly and comfortably dry. He sighed in relief and found Mustang was looking at him with a stressed and distant sort of expression, his wet hair clinging to his forehead and his damp clothes to his lean form. Ed watched him with a raised eyebrow as the colonel moved to sit down on a chair at a round table in the corner.

Edward frowned at him,

"You okay?" he asked the –stupid all things considered- question and because the room was so quiet, he'd used a hushed tone, just in case, since he didn't want their conversations to be overheard.

Mustang inhaled deeply and then he licked his lips and said one word,

"Magic."

"What?" Ed frowned.

Mustang clenched his jaw and then looked at Ed with a completely serious expression,

"Magic, it's what we've been seeing, green flames that transport people, the moving pictures, the bird-like paper planes-…" he trailed off, making weird flicking gestures with his fingers, eyes widening briefly.

Edward blinked, blinked again and then shrugged,

"Yeah, it's like magic, I guess, it's pretty fucking crazy…" he started to pull his black jacket off as he sighed, not taking Mustang's words as an actual factual statement, because why the hell would he?

But then the older man's voice was grave when he spoke again,

"I'm not making a joke here, Fullmetal, and I'm not guessing either." he stated and Ed looked at him just as he dropped his jacket on the bed, "At that place with the green flames, before, in the elevator, the interc-uh, the voice was announcing something and a part of what it said was…'ministry of magic'." he explained seriously, rubbing a hand over his mouth.

Edward frowned, thinking back to it,

"No, it didn't…I…" he was going to insist he'd heard the announcement, but then he remembered he'd tuned out whatever the voice had been saying, so he changed gears while shaking his head, "…magic doesn't exist, Mustang, it's impossible and ridiculous-…"

"And that woman pointed a stick, which coincidently resembled a fictional idea of a witch's _wand_ , and made the table and chairs inexplicably float." Mustang said slowly and almost crossly as he regarded Edward.

Well, he had a point.

Edward opened his mouth to comment and then closed it when he realized he simply had nothing to say to that. Instead he turned around and snatched the newspaper up off the bed before he walked over to the small table in the corner and stood beside Mustang, hurriedly unfolding the paper and placing it down on the table so they could both see it.

Ed glanced at the moving picture first, taking note for the first time that the scene didn't continuously unfold, but instead replayed a moment in time over and over again. The front page was cluttered with bold and cramped black ink text and the heading for the main article was outstanding beneath the newspapers title, which was the Daily Prophet. Ed skipped reading any of the content for the moment and searched for the date…and he swallowed uncomfortably, his stomach filling with a sinking cold when he found it,

"August 27th… **1996** …" he breathed out shakily.

Mustang had obviously been reading something else because when Ed said the date out loud the man visibly tensed and he quickly searched for the date Ed had found at the top,

"1996." he repeated in a breathless and strained, almost fearful, voice.

"S-shit…that's…that's 81 years…" Ed's heart hammered in his chest.

"That's **impossible**." Mustang said sounding angry again, "This place…it can't be…"

Edward abruptly stood up straight and rubbed his hands over his face as he inhaled shakily,

"Just a minute ago you suggested magic…" he said in a serious but uncertain tone, "…on that array, or whatever the fuck it was, there were those runes I had never seen, so maybe…maybe they're some sort of magic time travel symbols." he frowned before pressing his fingers into his eyes, feeling sick to his stomach with panic.

Mustang didn't respond for several tense seconds and Edward removed his fingers from his eyes to look at the older man, who was focused on the paper. Ed looked at the newspaper again and frowned, not sure whether Mustang was reading it or was just spaced out staring at it but he decided to skim over the content in hopes of understanding better, but also to distract himself from his nausea and confusion.

There were several article pieces cluttered on the front page and all of them sounded serious. Right at the top there was a notice of a 100 000 Galleon –Ed assumed that was the currency- bounty on the head of someone called Bellatrix LeStrange. Her name was definitely strange and Ed assumed she was a serious criminal of some kind. He looked at the glaring headline and frowned, it read; _'The Death Eater Terror Continues_ '. The smaller article titles that followed were also ominous; ' _Dark Forces Grow In Number'_ , ' _Goblin Negotiation Talks Break Down'_ and then there was an article with that word, **wand** , in it.

He looked at the moving picture again and narrowed his eyes at the giant cloud formed skull looming in the dark skies over some sort of city with high buildings and a massive bridge. The look of the sky in the picture was pretty much how it'd looked before they'd entered the Leaky Cauldron, except earlier in the day and everything that the newspaper was saying coincided with what Tom had mentioned about 'all that's going on'. To Ed, it seemed like they had landed themselves in the middle of something that wasn't so different from what they'd been going through just weeks earlier in Amestris.

"A war…" Mustang mumbled as if reading Edward's thoughts, "…this article says; 'Is this the beginning of a full scale second wizarding war?'" he leaned back in the chair, breathing a bit heavily, obviously struck stunned by the confirmation of two things.

One, they were in some sort of _magical_ world with wizards and probably witches, and wands and other crazy unscientific shit, and two, they'd landed themselves in the middle of _another_ war, with some things called _Death Eaters_ , and no matter how you looked at it, despite how stupid the name sounded, it seemed pretty sinister.

"How shitty can our luck be?" Edward asked rhetorically after exhaling tiredly, and he moved around the table to lower himself into the second chair opposite Mustang. They just sat looking at each other then, staring absently for a few seconds, both of them thinking over their bizarre situation…until Ed cracked a smirk and shook his head,

"Death eaters…" he made an 'are they even serious?' face.

Mustang smirked after a moment and chuckled quietly, raising his eyebrows lazily,

"What does that even mean, a Death Eater…does it eat death? Or dead people…?" he leaned an elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand, looking as bored as any other day slacking off at his desk job.

Edward snickered and leaned back in his chair,

"Stupid name…and **anyway** , Gluttony ate _living_ people…and all kinds of other bogus shit, so how bad can this war with Death Eaters and magic be?"

"….a wizarding war…" Mustang snickered too, an amused grin stretching across his face.

And within seconds, the two of them were laughing and making jokes about wands and goblins and wizards.

Because really, when you'd fought semi-immortal Homunculi and faced a 'god', the idea of a war with _wizards_ seemed pretty stupid.

* * *

Sleep didn't come easy to Edward, unsurprisingly, considering he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he was a time warp away from his brother and he spent hours scaring himself wondering whether that meant that Alphonse was…dead. He told himself repeatedly that it didn't work like that, but he had no evidence, not even a clue to support that hope…not yet anyway.

So after lying awake for hours he finally gave up on trying to sleep and when he noticed that the sky outside the window was slightly less black and gray with rain clouds, he hoped that meant it was morning. Ed considered taking a bath before going out, since there was a tiny bathroom in the room but he put the idea aside for the moment, deciding rather that finding a library or a source of books for information was more important.

He'd read the entirety of the newspaper's articles the night before, sharing and swapping sections and folds with Mustang who had been doing the same, because knowledge was power. But while the paper had talked a lot about how all the witches and wizards and even the muggles –whatever the fuck that was- had to be vigilant and afraid of some person referred to as 'he who must not be named', it didn't actually give much useful information. Other points that had stood out to Ed was that there was some person called Harry Potter, who came up in a lot of the articles, and also another person called Albus dumb-something. And from what he'd read further in, Bellatrix LeStrange did in fact turn out to be a serious criminal, specifically, an escaped murderer from a prison called Azkaban, along with several other convicts as well, all affiliated with the guy who couldn't be named for some dumbfuck reason.

Presently, after pulling his jacket and boots on, Edward sighed as he left the room and a sleeping Mustang to go downstairs to the pub. To put things simply, the situation was looking bad for whatever weird world they'd stumbled into, and being stuck there, Ed knew they would need information about the place. Specifically about its time and its magic, since they needed to know how it worked if they were ever going to find a way back to their time and world.

Ed had already taken into account the limitless energy as a valuable resource. Especially if it was 'magic' and not peoples life forces, then he would utilize it without hesitation because it would be necessary to power any transmutation circle he could come up with to get them back. He also took into account that both he and Mustang came through the strange array gate unharmed, he hadn't even been able to feel the Truth, and that was a good sign, because it meant that if he failed to figure out an array, then they could possibly go back the same way they'd come without paying a physical toll.

He just had a few things to sort out first, one was to figure out what those runes had meant so he could incorporate them properly into an array, the second was to find a map so he could identify their location on it and finally, he had to read up on magic and how it worked and also about how powerful and dangerous it might be. He needed to understand it before they could move forward with any plan, in fact, both of them did. And asking questions would be too dangerous and would raise suspicions, probably even more so in the presently volatile state the magic world was in.

One other thing that was a pain in the ass, was that the newspaper hadn't said _anything_ about currency values at all, and he and Mustang needed to learn the value of a 'sickle' and a 'galleon' so that they could transmute more gold and exchange it at that Gringotts bank place mentioned in the paper, the one with the…uh, goblins.

He was smirking to himself, picturing what he thought a goblin might look like as he descended the stairs and when he reached the bottom floor where the pub was, Ed glanced around. The place was completely empty, not a single customer in sight and Tom was standing over one of the wooden tables and wiping the surface of it over and over again in lazy circles, seemingly without purpose, as if his mind was far away and he was just keeping his idle hands busy.

"Morning, Tom." Edward greeted in his 'I'm a nice non-threatening guy' voice and the man startled before he quickly turned to face him, blinking away his shock as he smiled at Ed,

"G'mornin' Edward, up so early, what'll you have for breakfast, then?" he seemed almost happy to see Ed, or maybe even just a smiling face in general.

Edward didn't blame him, considering everything the paper had said was going on. Apparently people were even too scared to leave their homes, let alone go out drinking in a pub or shopping. He was reminded then that he still didn't know what the small town-like place they were in was called, it seemed too small to be a city but the newspaper had mentioned some place called 'London' and Ed assumed they might be in a place situated inside of London.

"No breakfast right now for me, thanks, Tom," he said politely, "I'm actually heading out," Tom seemed surprised that Ed would be going out anywhere, "I was hoping you could tell me where I could find a library in London." he tried to indirectly confirm where they were.

Tom raised his eyebrows and rubbed a hand over his bald head absently,

"In…London?" he frowned, "I couldn't tell ya', lad, I don't know anything much about the muggles or where they keep their libraries, but in Diagon Alley you can find a good read in 'Flourish and Blotts'."

The only indication that Edward had of which of the places were which, was from Tom gesturing to a different exit for either name. When he said 'muggles' he'd pointed to an exit that Edward hadn't been through on the other side of the pub, and when he said 'Diagon Alley' he'd gestured to the way Ed and Mustang had come in the night before. Ed frowned and glanced between the two exits,

"Uh, Flourish…and Blotts, right?" he repeated absently and Tom nodded,

"Yeah, just down the way from here." he said with a nod.

When the hunched man walked back around the table and to the bar area, Edward turned to look at the exit where the 'muggles' lay beyond. It was unnerving, not knowing what a muggle was and thinking that the small establishment somehow separated the dreary place called Diagon Alley from another place with high buildings called London. But really, he was too curious to not want to know what was beyond the other door, and it was in Edward's nature to be impulsive. So with a glance cast around for Tom, who had disappeared somewhere beyond the bar, Edward moved toward the other exit and he pulled the door open on a held breath, unsure of what to expect.

And while his mind was conjuring up ideas of what a muggle might look like, - he was mostly picturing human based chimeras for some reason - what Edward found on the other side of the door was a busy street lined with shops and signs and normal looking people who were dressed ordinarily enough, just walking by. And as he stepped onto the sidewalk with wide gold eyes and closed the pub door behind him, he noticed vehicles, the likes of which Edward had never seen before, driving by and parked off along the curb sides.

He swallowed tensely and glanced up at the blue and partly clouded sky of the fresh, slightly chilly aired morning. Just then, one of the many people walking by, a woman with her heels clicking on the pavement, glanced at him and gave him a strange look as she passed while holding some long rectangular black thing to her ear and speaking into it, like one might do with a telephone. Ed blinked several times at her distancing form before he turned around to look at the door he'd just come out of. It was black and wood, and the establishment looked small from where he was standing, the walls of it covered in black paint. Even the sign above the door held a different name and it was barely visible under the grime and deterioration of it.

He looked around again as he slowly walked a bit further down the sidewalk, glancing at every strange car that drove by and somewhat more discreetly at the people he passed. Ed looked at the side cafés and businesses, and as he approached a corner turn off from the long road he was on, his mouth fell open and he raised his eyes. Just over the top of the nearest buildings lining the street, Edward could see the really tall buildings much more closely than he had in newspaper, reaching very high into the sky.

He stopped walking then, his heart again starting to thud harshly in his chest as some panic settled in.

It finally sunk in absolutely then, that they had definitely gone through a time jump somehow, because buildings that tall were as futuristic as the cars he could see driving by. And yet still, the overall look of the city was sort of similar to Central, far more than anything in Diagon Alley had been.

Edward absently ran a shaking hand through his bangs to settle them behind his ear when the wind whipped up. He knew just by looking at what he could see down the long busy, cluttered street and turn offs, that the city was probably big and populated, and still having no idea what muggles were or what the word even meant, Ed decided he was not willing to venture any further, lest he get lost.

He couldn't risk that happening, he and Mustang had to stick together.

He started to walk back to the pub, his combat boots scuffing the sidewalk with every step, and he decided as he approached the black door, that going to Flourish and Blotts, a place that he could easily find, would be better than getting lost trying to find a library in a large city that was the apparent London he'd read about in the newspaper. One day though, when he and Mustang had figured stuff out, he wanted very much to explore London, but not right then. Foreign land was dangerous land, especially in a world that seemed so far ahead in time.

Yeah, he really badly needed a map.

Edward stepped back into The Leaky Cauldron and when he did, Tom, who was wiping down another table, looked up at him and smiled,

"Back so soon?"

Edward found himself nodding, mind racing and palms sweating in his gloves,

"Y-yeah, so uh, Flourish and uh, Blotts." he repeated again as he closed the door on the bright and far more appealing city. He didn't wait for an answer though, and instead he just crossed the pub and headed straight for the back exit.

He made quick work of the wall in the back, turning it into a door again and when he stepped through into Diagon Alley, he found the streets were as quiet and empty of people as the night before. Ed glanced around just to make extra sure no one was watching before he sealed the strange wall off again and then he started walking down the street. He passed several shops, some of which were closed and he glanced up at the lightning flashes in the dark clouds overhead every now and then, hoping it wouldn't rain again. Only a few shops down the street he spotted the sign for 'Flourish and Blotts' swaying slightly in the chilly wind.

He went right in, not hesitating and as the door bell rung above his head when he'd stepped in, Ed stopped in the entrance and looked around the _mess_ of a book shop, obviously it was not a library judging by the cash register on a counter not too far in. But it didn't really matter to him, the place smelled like books and that in itself was comforting, so he'd make do.

There was one person in the store, an elderly man standing way in the back of the shop and he spared Edward a glance, a suspicious one just like Tom had first given him, but then he just went back to what he was doing.

Edward read the lack of approach or interference as some sort of wariness. He assumed that with all the dangerous stuff happening, where people didn't know who to trust, it made sense to mind one's own business. That worked to Ed's advantage at least, because he could peruse the store without being pestered.

With that bit of luck, Edward looked around, skimming over the options of reading around him and his eyes widened when he read 'Dragons' on the wooden stair balcony above the bottom floor, and he felt a shock of excitement…because **dragons** …!

If they were real…well, that'd be something to see.

With a final look around at the piles and shelves of cluttered books, Edward made his way over to the first shelf that interested him, feeling somewhat more enthused.

* * *

Many hours later, Edward was nose deep in a book entitled 'Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms', when he heard a snap right next to his ear. Startled, he quickly sat up straight and turned around with his shoulders defensively hunched. Mustang was there, crouching behind where Ed sat cross legged on the floor, in the middle of a book cluttered aisle with books scattered and piled around him, open and closed and varying in sizes and thickness and with no discernable coordination of subject.

He stared into the older man's half annoyed and half amused face and then he blinked wide eyed,

"It's **insane** , Mustang. This place is **insane** …werewolves, magical flying creatures, _transfiguration_ …" he exhaled shakily, eyes narrowing as he said that last word in a hushed tone and leaned closer to the older man, "…this magic stuff has charms and spells, potions…and, and their science is almost _nonexistent_." he set the book down on top of a low pile and turned around, getting onto his knees to face Mustang while staring straight into his now wide blue eyes, "And alchemy here is considered a _dead art_." he hissed quietly, sounding as frustrated and upset as he could while being quiet, his voice laced with morbid fascination…and stricken fear.

Mustang regarded him for a quiet moment as his eyes returned to normal, and then he raised a hand and placed it on Ed's shoulder and squeezed, grounding him,

"He's **not** dead Edward, none of them are." he assured quietly.

Edward searched the Colonel's eyes for a panicked moment, trying to latch onto the confidence the man had said those words with. He'd been reading for hours, reading things that made no sense and seemed impossible and there was no trace of alchemy, no trace of anywhere familiar in the books, there was no Amestris, Xing or Creta or Aerugo. And the fucking map of that _magical_ world was **bogus** , it was a world that existed in secret union with the muggle –which meant non magical- world, and the map of it all looked nothing like the map of their own world, not even remotely.

There were many landmasses in that new world and they were riddled with states, provinces and cities. They were vast and highly populated and so far apart, some of them even separated by _oceans_.

Ed didn't even know how with all of his stress and frustration, Mustang had managed to read his fear correctly and he frowned when he found he couldn't make himself just believe that,

"How can you be so sure?" he asked with uncertain anger, voice betraying how scared he was, especially since he'd only just got his brother back and now he may be dead somehow.

"Because," Mustang squeezed his shoulder again, then let it go and picked up a random book from Ed's many piles, "we just have to believe, Edward." he sounded lazy and distracted and with his uniform on –minus his jacket and waist cape-, which was crisply cleaned and ironed -probably with alchemy-, the colonel looked like he was going through any other day.

Edward frowned, wondering how the man managed to look like he had his shit so together all of a sudden, after the mess he'd been just the night before. Shaking his head and taking a quiet breath, Ed looked at the book Mustang was holding, it was entitled; ' _Legislative Guide to the Proper Use of Magic'._

"I tried to read a little bit of everything." he explained as he sat back on his legs, taking more quiet breaths and trying to calm his racing heart, "Their world map here is completely different to ours. They have more than one landmass and they refer to them all as continents. Right now, we're on a continent called Europe, in a city called London, which is in a country called England, which is situated in a state called Great Britain." he shook his head disbelievingly, "And this magic world we're in, exists sort of…parallel to the non-magic world, like occupying the **same space simultaneously**...and uh, muggles are what they call non-magic enabled humans." he swallowed lightly, staring at Mustang and looking for some sign that the man didn't think they were royally fucked.

The colonel had shifted so that he was sitting on the floor as well, listening to Ed intently with a pale face, but was showing no signs of having anything to say, so with a tight sigh, Ed went on quietly,

"But it's a secret right, the muggle people don't know that the magic world exists like, for the most part because this world uses magic to conceal themselves. And their, uh, currency is gold, silver and bronze, they call it money…" he shook his head and then cradled it in his hands as he mentally sifted through everything he'd been reading so that he could relay it, "…and uh, their spells," he raised his head again, "there are _hundreds_ of them, and they do various _impossible_ , physics defyingthings. Their potions are similar, and their entire society is very drastically different to the muggle world," he only knew that from having gotten a firsthand glimpse of London and then having compared it to everything he'd read about the magic world, "it's like…two worlds, in one place." he finished with a slow shake of his head.

He watched Mustang sigh shakily and swallow tensely, his throat clicking,

"So we're not just in a different time then…if the world map is unrecognizable, then we are essentially in a…in a different…world entirely." he spoke very quietly, "Because 81 years is not a long enough time for a landmass to separate like that," Ed was shaking his head some more, agreeing, "and it'd take an impossibly massive alchemic array and probably thousands of alchemists to pull something like that off…which, no…right…that wouldn't have…" he trailed off, breathing anxiously and Ed watched him as the older man ran a shaking gloved hand through his dark hair and then down his face.

Ed took a moment to absorb Mustang's words and then a few things clicked into place, making him blink rapidly,

"A different world…" he repeated, "…th-that, but that's better right? Because then it means that Al's alive, everyone is alive, because it means we left Amestris completely, we didn't activate some kind of time warp into our own world's future." he wet his lips and picked up the magical runes book he'd been reading, "I found two of the runes from the array, they're both magical symbols, one of them was some sort of symbol to prevent getting lost and the other symbolized life." he informed the older man, feeling like he had been set back on track by Mustang's reasoning.

There was a tense moment of quiet and then Mustang took a deep breath and nodded,

"Okay, alright, so we're in a different world, in a different time and in the thick of an impending magical war." he made it sound so depressing when he said it like that, "But we can take comfort in the relatively sure fact that our world is fine and our loved ones, friends and family are all alive and well." he nodded again and then looked at Edward, who just blinked at him, "So all we need to worry about here is ourselves…and finding a way back home."

More silence settled between them as Edward stared at the book he held, thinking of Alphonse laying in his hospital bed, still in recovery, worrying about a missing brother. The younger Elric didn't need that...

"Can you replicate that array?" Mustang asked.

Edward shook his head, eyes sliding from the pages of the book to look at Mustang,

"I could, but I won't, not until I understand all four of those symbols. It'd be too risky otherwise."

Mustang nodded, apparently agreeing,

"Then I should help you look for more books that could help with the symbols…"

"There are none, I've looked through everything," Mustang looked skeptical so he reassured, " _everything,_ but this one and another I found are the only two books in this store that have anything on magical runes and symbols and the other two runes from the array are not in either of them."

Mustang blinked a few times as he glanced around the dusty, cluttered store filled with books,

"So we need more books. Any ideas?"

At that question, Edward told Mustang about the muggle city of 'London' beyond the other door in the pub, and that there might be libraries out there, but the older man didn't like the idea, agreeing with Ed's earlier thoughts that venturing out into a world that was so unfamiliar was too dangerous right then, despite being just as fascinated as Ed was about the possibility of exploring the futuristic separate world.

"The only other two places that are stated as having large comprehensive libraries are the Ministry of Magic and a place called Hogwarts, which is some kind of magic school." Ed moved some books around until he pulled up a thick, heavy book entitled ' _Hogwarts, A History'_ and set it where Mustang could see it. "We can't go back to the Ministry though, and…I don't think we could just visit this Hogwarts place either." Ed scratched at his forearm absently as he gestured to the book. He needed a bath, he felt clammy and dusty.

Mustang lifted the book and opened it, randomly paging through it as he frowned,

"Maybe we wouldn't have to visit." he stopped paging and looked at Edward, "In the newspaper, there was an advert in the job section. It read that that Hogwarts place is looking for a 'Potions' teacher urgently."

Edward frowned, he was having trouble following Mustang's train of thought,

"Are you suggesting…that we apply for the job?" he asked uncertainly.

Mustang was flipping through the book again, expression almost nonchalant when he spoke,

"That would be redundant, we can't both apply for the job, Fullmetal, we need for both of us to get into the school and we can't risk one of us not making it in, because if one doesn't go, then neither does the other." he said with finality and looked pointedly at Ed with his 'that's an order' expression.

Edward would like to have argued, but he agreed with Mustang on the fact that they shouldn't get separated under any circumstances. Still, that left the question of,

"How the hell are we both going to get in? Are there other job offers?" he frowned and irritably brushed his bangs out of his face. The air in the bookstore was terribly stuffy and the cold weather outside was starting to wear on his leg port, but at least his automail was still in good condition even after the Promised Day. His arm may have gotten wrecked that day, but his leg had been fine and still was.

Slowly, Ed shifted to sit so that his left leg was stretched out between some books and he absently rubbed at the point where metal met flesh. Mustang spared the action a glance, but he knew better after so many years than to ask about whether Ed was doing okay. The answer would always –to him at least – be anything from 'mind your own business' to 'shut the hell up, don't nag me bastard'.

Ah, the lessons learned.

Instead, he didn't mention it and rather, he gave Edward a thoughtful look before raising a thin black eyebrow, attempting to look innocent as some heinous idea popped into his conniving mind. But as usual, Ed saw right through it because Mustang was anything but innocent, and Ed's guard immediately went up when the colonel smirked at him,

"Well, I think it would make sense for you to enroll yourself as a student." Ed stared at him, "You'll be seventeen in a few months, right? So _technically_ you're the exact right age for…" he trailed off when he saw the death glare that Ed had leveled him with.

Mustang's eyebrow twitched up in question while Ed's twitched in irritation,

" **School?** " he stated the word with a healthy amount of loathing, "Mustang, I haven't been to school since the second fucking grade, I didn't need it then and I sure as shit don't need it now." he added flatly.

Mustang blinked at him slowly, his expression all calm and diplomatic, which made Ed want to smack him.

"Fullmetal, you're not going to be attending school because you require education." he said patiently, waiting for his words to sink in, because through Ed's blinding vehemence to not be treated like a child, he could often miss simple facts, such as, "You will basically just be undercover, as will I, in order for us to gather the information that we need from the school's library." the colonel sighed, looking tired as he leaned his shoulder against the book shelf.

He also looked sallow in complexion and Ed could see the fine hair on his arms where his shirt sleeves were rolled up, were standing on end and his forearms were dotted with goosebumps. He was cold, much like Ed was, especially since that particular shop didn't have a nice big fire going to keep the place warm and neither of them had any other clothes to stave off the cold weather. And on top of everything, they were both stressed like crazy. Taking all that into consideration, Ed reassessed his reaction to Mustang's suggestion and decided that he shouldn't be unnecessarily stubborn, especially when the plan wasn't awful, it would just suck.

But it would obviously be an undercover operation for both of them to get the information they needed, so if it meant he had to pretend to be a scholar, a boy in school…when he hadn't been a **boy** in so many years, then,

"Fine," a sigh, "say I agree to do it," Mustang's eyes slid lazily to regard him, "there are problems with your plan. Firstly, it's the 28th of August in this country, or world or you know, whatever, and _Hogwarts, A History_ states that the first term of school starts on the 1st of September. That's only three days from now. So how exactly are we going to get you applied for that job and me enrolled, when we don't even know where this school is?" Ed cocked an eyebrow at his C.O. But if Mustang had anything to say, he didn't make any attempts so Ed went on, "And secondly, we don't have any currency and I'm guessing I'd have to pay to go to school, right. Because that's how it works?" he glanced down at the thick book resting in Mustang's hands, not really knowing how the education system would work in that world. Schools in Risembool had been free but Central schools had required a monthly or annual payment, and alchemy prep schools were crazy expensive to attend, so he couldn't guess how a magic school system would function.

Mustang frowned slightly at that point and then nodded a few times,

"Well, if there was a job advert in that paper just yesterday and the school is starting in three days then I think it's safe to assume that we have some wiggle room, they obviously aren't the most strict or organized institution if they don't even have substitute or back up teachers readily on hand." they stared at each other for a moment, both deciding silently that they could work with scant wiggle room, they'd done it before, "And as for currency, or money as they call it here, we'd need to make more gold obviously." he muttered that last part quietly.

Edward inwardly grouched and outwardly sighed,

"That's easier said than done, Mustang."

"We can find lead in the ground." the colonel offered.

Ed sighed again and shrugged,

"Yeah, we could, but hell," he lowered his voice further, "I'd need a couple of _hours_ to transmute enough lead out of the ground for a decent amount of gold, especially if it's deep. This shit isn't child's play, I have to _look_ for it."

Mustang looked at him seriously,

"How long, if we both did it."

Edward frowned and then pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows, amused,

"Depending on how good you are," he smirked when Mustang narrowed his eyes, "we could cut an hour in half, so if I'd take four hours on my own, we're looking at two instead, maybe even less depending, again, on how deep we'd have to look for lead in the first place."

Mustang was nodding and Edward was shaking his head,

"We can do it, Fullmetal. Look," he sat forward, voice hushed further when he spoke, "I took a walk before I came here to find you, and further down into the town, it looks like there's been some sort of fire damage. Some of the shops are completely wrecked and even further down there's a road leading to an open forest area. It's sparsely covered, the trees aren't that dense **but** it's deserted like the rest of this place and it's not paved over." he glanced around absently and cuffed a hand through his short bangs. His hair looked greasy and Edward surmised he hadn't opted to take a bath either.

Ed considered the information, and then nodded because they could work with that,

"Okay…so the plan is that you apply to be a teacher and I enroll as a student, we make the gold and…hope for the best?"

Mustang nodded,

"I'll have to write up a quick résumé…" he paused as he shifted so he was settled in a crouch and he made a face, "…I've never written a résumé, let alone one for being a _potions_ teacher." he looked annoyed next and then uncertain. Edward grinned at his changing expressions and absently bumped his fist against Mustang's knee,

"Ah, are you kidding, you're the best lying bastard ever, you can swing this." he offered his own unique brand of encouragement and then glanced around at the piles of books before moving some of them around to find one in particular. When he found it, he handed it to Mustang, "This potions book seems to have the most information I could find on the subject in this shop, maybe it'll help."

Mustang took the book and looked at the title as he stood up, stretching his shoulders back and sighing,

"Advanced Potion Making." he read aloud and then he flipped through the book, skimming the pages.

"Potions making is just like chemistry, closest thing they've got to lab work, so don't sweat it." Ed explained.

"So it's easy."

"Yep."

There was a pause, and then,

"My easy…or your easy?" Mustang asked with an annoyed frown.

Ed smirked, because he rocked that kind of intimidating genius intelligence and he loved that Mustang knew it,

"Standard Alchemy 101 easy." he clarified with raised eyebrows and a smug grin and Mustang rolled his eyes,

"Good." he muttered.

Edward got up from the floor then with a bit of a grimace, stiff from having been sitting for so long and when he straightened his left leg he winced at the dull throb of pain around his port. Mustang slid the potions book into a random slot in the shelf, earning himself a disapproving look from Ed, who started to put the books he'd been reading away in their _correct_ places. Mustang just ignored the look and followed him around,

"So, résumé, job application, enrollment request, gold and then post office." the older man listed, subtly watching Ed's slight limp with concern.

" _Owl_ Post Office." Edward informed with an amused look on his face.

"Come again?" Mustang looked perplexingly confused.

Ed snorted, picking up the last pile of books from the floor to put them back,

"There's no regular postal service, they use _owls_ …" Edward glanced at him, putting the last few books in the shelf and when he was done he turned to the colonel and shoved his hands into his tight leather pants pockets.

Mustang blink at him, lightly shook his head as if he had a headache and then turned to leave the shop. They started walking side by side toward the stairs and all the older man managed to say after a minute was,

"Right, owls."

* * *

Hours later, just before dark, Diagon Alley was still mostly empty and Edward and Mustang had just made their way to 'Eeylops Owl Emporium'. As it turned out, they'd decided to make the gold first because they'd been hungry as fuck and knew they would be in need of money for another night's stay at The Leaky Cauldron. So they'd made the gold and then had gone back to the pub to eat and pay for another night, before going up to their shared room to write out their letters on some paper and fucking _inkwells_ borrowed from Tom. It hadn't taken too long to get the gold, because it turned out Mustang wasn't so totally useless, and in around two and a half hours they'd managed to transmute enough lead in order to extract 26 coins worth of gold, and they were all even weighted and proportioned like before, plain faced and reeded too.

They'd considered trading the gold in at Gringotts, but Ed had told Mustang that Galleons were made of gold anyway and that it probably wouldn't make much difference to the shop owners who could exchange it themselves. So together they'd decided to just use the gold coins as they were, knowing they were pretty lucky that people seemed to accept the gold with no problem.

But then, people in Amestris would have done the same, because gold was gold.

Presently, they walked into the owl shop and found themselves surrounded by cages holding beautiful, large and small owls of different colors and breeds, all of the creatures watching them with curiously intelligent eyes as they walked further into the shop. It was dimly lit inside and smelled a bit ripe with animal droppings, and also, like everything else in Diagon Alley, the placed seemed dreary and dank.

Mustang was walking just behind Edward in the narrow entrance aisle, and he kept his voice low when he spoke,

"We need to buy one, right, because there's no owl post office?" he asked as he looked closely at a sleepy looking owl. They'd both checked every shop in every street and found no post office.

"Yeah, so…pick a bird, colonel." Edward mumbled, turning around to look at the owl Mustang was peering at, "But not a lazy one like that, okay, cause' we need it to get these letters delivered asap." he held up the two letters, one a job application and résumé, the other an enrollment letter, both sealed in transmuted envelopes.

Mustang's was addressed to a Minerva McGonagal, the deputy head mistress that was listed in the paper as the contact for the job advert, and the other letter was from Edward written to Albus Dumbledore, who was listed in ' _Hogwarts, A History_ ' as the current Headmaster of the school.

They'd both been very annoyed to have had to use a quill and ink to write with. Ed had forgotten how tedious it was writing with a quill, he hadn't done so since he'd been a little boy living out in the sticks.

"Oh, hello, hello there, how can I help you?" a woman popped up from somewhere in the store, stepping into the aisle they were in, approaching quickly and looking legitimately shocked to have customers. He and Mustang glanced at each other and then looked back at her. Mustang smiled,

"Hi, we just need to buy one reliable-…"

"…and cheap…" Ed added in.

"…-owl."

She nodded and looked around at all the cages before answering,

"You can have any one of these," she gestured to a specific wall of caged owls, "for 8, no, no, 7 galleons." she negotiated with herself before beaming at them.

They both caught on that she was bargaining because business was bad, and she didn't want them to walk away without buying anything.

"That sounds reasonable." said Mustang, not having a fucking clue what the normal price of an owl even was. Edward nearly rolled his eyes, but held the urge back and instead looked around, his gaze falling on one of the owls sitting in a cage beyond where the shopkeeper stood. It was looking directly at them, blinking and fluffing its feathers slightly, shifting on its perch,

"Let's get that one," he pointed at it, he didn't know why but he just liked it, it looked…sarcastic somehow, "it, uh, it looks aerodynamic and confident." Edward made an excuse and he grinned at the woman who quickly smiled back before turning to look at the cage he was pointing to.

"I thought you said I could pick." Mustang muttered and Edward glanced at him, finding him looking honestly put out, like he'd really wanted to pick a damn owl. Edward looked back to the owl when the shopkeeper went to the cage and took it down from the display it was on, bringing it over and handing the medium sized cage to him. He _almost_ felt bad about choosing the owl, but when he looked at it up close and it blinked at him and turned its head slightly to consider him, he found he liked the owl far more than he felt bad for the colonel. It had such a weird feathery little white heart shaped face and pitch black eyes, and he could barely see its sharp, downturned beak. It looked smart and shrewd, its feathers were beautiful and hell, it was cute…damn it. He really liked the owl.

He would never say that out loud though. **Ever**.

"Here you are, 7 gold coins." Mustang handed her the gold over Ed's shoulder and once it was in her palm, she blinked at it. There was an awkward moment where she stared at the coins and then took a stick…-wand-…out of her robes and she pointed it at the coins in her palm, tapping them three times before she said,

" _Aparecium."_ in a bit of a whisper.

When nothing happened to the coins, Edward made a face at her,

"It's real gold, lady, pure _untainted_ gold, purer than the galleon even." he said sounding righteously offended that his transmutation would be questioned. He'd understood the charm she'd used from having read about it earlier in the spell book, it was a 'revealing' charm, meant to expose something hidden.

In this case, it would have been exposing fake gold, except the gold was legit.

She laughed awkwardly and apologized,

"…it's just, in times like these you can't be too careful." she quickly pocketed the gold.

Edward didn't care for her apology,

"Yeah sure, whatever, look lady, we need this owl to take a couple of letters to someone urgently, can it do that, like right now?" Edward asked hastily, glancing at Mustang who was now looking closely over his shoulder at the barn owl in the cage Ed held.

Ed was tempted to tell him to get out of his space, but he was distracted with wondering why the older man was being so quiet and letting him do all the talking, the last thing he needed was for Mustang to start losing his shit. The whole chatty sally thing was supposed to be the colonel's forte, not Ed's.

The shopkeeper waved her hands lightly,

"Oh yes, yes, all of the owls in my shop are trained to deliver mail, you just have to give him the letters and tell him who it's for and he'll be off…does just what you tell him. Smart, special birds, owls are." she patted the cage with shaky hands and then she blinked at Ed curiously, "Are you a new Hogwarts student?"

The question kind of came out of nowhere and suddenly Mustang was talking again,

"We should go." he said abruptly.

Edward flashed her a half-awkward smile,

"Uh yeah, thanks for the owl, it…uh, he's great looking and…yeah..." he held the cage firmly and turned to follow Mustang outside.

Once they were outside and a little ways down from the shop, standing in the overcast, slightly drizzling, early evening gloomy weather, they stopped walking and Ed turned to look at the colonel,

"What was that about?" he asked irritably, adjusting his hold on the cage so he was holding it by the top handle in one hand and the owl made a small squawking sound when the cage swayed lightly.

Mustang raised his eyebrows and shrugged,

"I just don't think we should get too familiar with anyone. If we're going to be at Hogwarts and acting as if we don't know each other then it's better that way." he explained quietly, "Right now no one but Tom knows our names, and no one knows our last names, and the only people who will, will be the two people those letters will go to. Nobody knows where we're from or anything about us at all and that's a good thing…" he paused and frowned, and Edward did too, considering his works, "…but, we should probably figure out some background stories, just in case we get into Hogwarts and the people there have questions." the older man decided.

Edward sighed, glancing at the owl in the cage. Really, he should have figured the older man was still on top of his game, Mustang wasn't a military colonel at 30 for nothing, he knew how to be discreet and careful and covert. Ed despised that he grudgingly respected the older man for that.

There were some flashes of lightning in the gray-white sky and for the first time since exiting the owl emporium, they both noticed that there were a few more people in Diagon Alley than just the occasional straggler they'd glimpsed walking the streets earlier. And when the thunder rolled overhead, the few people traipsing the street all looked alarmed and started hurrying along. Ed and Mustang shared a glance and then they both looked at the owl while the owl fluffed its feathers.

When Edward raised the cage higher between them, Mustang reached to open it and the owl leaned forward on its perch toward the cage opening, looking at them with that same odd awareness and intelligence. Mustang took the letters from Ed's other hand and leaned down slightly to regard the owl,

"Hello, mister owl," he said with a stupid smile on his stupid face and Edward nearly face-palmed, "could you please take these letters to Professor Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore-…?"

"…-at separate times-…" Ed added.

"…-as quickly as possible." Mustang finished.

The owl twitched its head from Mustang to Ed and then to the hand the older man had raised to its beak with the letters, and very quickly it snatched the envelopes with a firm clip of its small beak and maneuvered so it could push itself out from the cage, taking off into flight and making Ed belatedly brace the bottom of the cage when it swayed. They stared at the departing owl as it ascended high into the gray sky.

"Huh." Mustang said with a blink.

Edward was thinking the same thing, which was,

"Yeah, that's pretty amazing."

"Yes, yes it is." a beat of silence, "Do you think it _really_ understood us?" he wondered aloud.

Edward lowered his gaze from the sky to the older man, who stood just four inches taller than him since his last growth spurt before the Promised Day.

When Mustang looked at him, Ed shrugged,

"We'll only know if it ever bothers to come back." his shoulders sagged and his stomach growled, he was hungry again.

Mustang's face eased into his usual lazy appearance,

"Let's feed you before you start to bitch." he slipped his hands into his deep, loose military pants pockets weighed down with gold coins and he started walking down the street. Edward glared and caught up in step with him, punching the colonel on his shoulder, making the older man wince.

"Asshole." Ed mumbled.

Mustang just smirked, Edward made a face and in companionable silence, they walked down the street.

* * *

Having had nothing else to do, the two alchemists had returned to the dreary, but at least warm, pub and had eaten an early supper before going upstairs to their room to take turns having a hot bath. It was not as weird as Ed would have imagined it would be sharing a living space with Mustang, well, he hadn't ever imagined it mind you, but all the same, it wasn't weird.

They moved around each other pretty comfortably, mindful of one another's personal space and when night fell –to a dark and ominous sky-, Edward took to relaxing on his bed, wearing his hand washed and alchemy dried clothing while reading the same newspaper from the day before and memorizing everything he thought might be important. Mustang was sitting at the small table in the corner with a cup of coffee from the bar downstairs, he was also wearing his newly cleaned clothes, distantly staring out of the window at Diagon Alley's less than interesting view of roof shingles and forest tree tops.

Edward suspected the older man was expecting the owl wouldn't come back, and honestly, he expected the same.

Believing that the owl would just _know_ what to do and get it done, no matter how much weird shit they'd had to accept so far, was still not easy.

So when they finally decided to put off all the fire lamps, because apparently electricity wasn't a thing in the magic world, Edward lay awake trying to think of what their plan B might have to be if the owl didn't come back, because a backup plan was usually good form, as Mustang would say. Or had said. Ed didn't always listen to him, even though some of the helpful shit that went through his head in times of trouble he was sure he'd absorbed from Mustang's lectures at some point. Eh.

That had to be like subliminal commanding or something, right? Edward decided with a frown at the ceiling, that he had to start being more aware of Mustang's babbling in future.

Sighing his paranoia away, he started to think about everything he'd read up on so far. The stuff he'd learned was pretty useless to him on a basic level, since he wasn't a witch or wizard, or whatever, but it still might come in handy at some point, so he lay awake mentally sorting through it, the spells and potions and muggles and _dragons_ and dark magic…

Dark magic was obviously a bad thing, the name implied it, but the kind of energy the magic world seemed to feed off of was scary all on its own, limitless and dangerous. He just wondered if they knew how deep it ran, as deep as he could feel it every time he clapped his hands and channeled it through himself.

It was definitely bad to have open access to that kind of power…but it was also so…useful…

* * *

At some point he must have drifted off to sleep, face down on the pillow and drooling because he'd been so tired, because when Ed heard a loud, sharp thudding noise, he started awake, pushing himself up quickly onto one elbow and one hand as his entire body tensed in anticipation of something bad. He was ready to flip off the bed and onto his feet, but when he turned on his side and glanced around, he saw that there was no other presence in the small room besides his and Mustang's, whose sleeping form he could only just make out across from him on the other bed.

It was very quiet in the Leaky Cauldron Inn, all day and night long, so when a thudding that sounded so close happened, it was unsettling. Edward inhaled deeply when the tapping sound didn't persist and he closed his eyes even though he wasn't lying down. He breathed quietly for a while and was just about to lie back down when the sound started up again, and being awake that time he was able to identify where it was coming from.

"What the hell?" Mustang's voice sounded from across the small room, deep and groggy with sleep. Edward didn't spare him a glance, instead he got his arms up under himself and pushed himself onto his knees before he shifted his legs off the edge of the bed quietly. All the while he kept his bright gold eyes focused on the curtain covering the window. The thudding came again, although now that he was more fully awake, it sounded like more of a 'tack' sound, like something was tapping against the window.

He started toward the window just when a soft 'snap' sounded and one of the fire lamps in the room were lit up, courtesy of Mustang. Edward moved more surely now that he could see in the dull orange glow, and he absently brushed his open hair back from his face as he walked over to the window in his white boxers and black, creased tank shirt. He spared a glance at Mustang who was a few feet behind him, also wearing only his boxer shorts and white undershirt, and he had his hand raised and fingers poised, wearing the ignition glove he'd always kept in his uniform pocket on standby, his eyes focused on the window as he stood ready to char anything bad that might be waiting there.

They were paranoid, but could you blame them?

When Mustang nodded subtly to say he was ready, Edward readied himself to fight and reached out to pull the curtain back. It made a short snick sound when he pulled it open and he held his breath, expecting Mustang had done the same…

…and Mister Owl just stared dully at them from the other side of the windowpane where it sat on the outer sill. Its face of feathers was ghostly white and its beady black eyes were looking from one half-dressed man to the other expectantly. Ed huffed, relaxing as he stepped forward and opened the window, leveling the owl with a weak glare when it hopped inside, flapping its wings a few times as it scuttled onto the table, before it fluffed its feathers up as if it appreciated the warmth of the room.

Edward quickly shut the cold out and placed his hands on his hips as he turned to the barn owl,

"So you came back, huh? And you even knocked." Edward laughed quietly, smiling at the fluffing owl.

The fine feathered bird dropped two different envelopes onto the table and fluffed its wings, making a small squawk sound afterward. Mustang chuckled,

"He has better manners than you do, Fullmetal." the older man sounded amused and Edward mumbled for him to shut up as he picked up the letters, "And he's more efficient too, it hasn't even been twelve hours." Mustang added, hesitating slightly before running his ungloved hand over the owl's silky feathers.

It cooed approvingly and twitched its head, looking between them before spreading its wings and flapping its way across the room to settle on Mustang's bed, right against his pillow. Mister Owl fluffed up, closed his eyes and seemingly went to sleep there.

Edward snickered as he looked at the envelopes,

"Well, I guess he likes you." he quipped absently while Mustang stared tiredly at his high jacked bed, "That was fast though, right…lookit..." Ed said as he held up the two envelopes, both marked and sealed with a Hogwarts wax seal, "…here's yours." he handed the one with Roy Mustang written in exceptionally neat cursive over the front, to the older man.

Mustang first removed his ignition glove and placed it on the table before taking the letter,

"Hm, 'Mister Roy Mustang, The Leaky Cauldron'," he read what was on the envelope and then frowned, "does yours say where you're staying?" Mustang asked as he broke the seal on the back of his envelope.

Edward shook his head as he flipped his own plainly inked 'Mr. E. Elric' envelope over and opened it,

"Nah, but then, I didn't say where I was staying in my letter…just said I was an orphaned, 17 year old wizard who had relocated to London after being home schooled all my life, looking to complete my magical education at Hogwarts. You know, like you said, and I asked if there was room for me at Hogwarts and what the requirements for enrollment would be…" he trailed off as he opened his letter and pulled out three folded pages of high quality paper.

They stood in silence for a moment, each reading their letters and Mustang completed first, eyebrows raised and his shoulders relaxing,

"I'm hired." he said with a hint of smugness in his voice.

Edward was re-reading through the second page of his letter, whereas Mustang only had one page, but he stopped halfway and looked at the older man, making an annoyed expression and frowned,

"I got accepted, but the thing is…I have to take a test, uh, something called the Owls," Mustang mouthed the word silently with a frown and Edward shrugged, "yeah, before I can be officially enrolled or whatever," he sighed, "what does yours say?" he asked as he sat down in the chair under the window and absently scratched his flesh knee.

Mustang inhaled and looked over his letter,

"Uh, Mister Mustang, thanking you for applying, uh, and you're application has been accepted. We at Hogwarts look forward to having you on our staff…blah blah, please be at Hogwarts by tomorrow evening to settle in before the school year commences and have a class curriculum prepared…be punctual, uh, pre-ceremony preparations…" he waved his free hand dismissively, "…signed Minerva McGonagall." he sighed and tossed the letter onto the table, "Mission accomplished, Fullmetal, we're in." he ruffled his sleep mussed hair, looking relieved.

" _You're_ in, _I_ have to take a fucking test." he complained.

"Now what was it you said to me before?" Mustang was smirking, "Don't sweat it? Ah, yes, that was it, don't sweat it, Fullmetal, you're a _genius_ after all, shouldn't be too hard for you to take a simple _school_ test." he leaned against the table and Edward clenched his jaw as well as his left hand into a tight fist,

"I didn't say I was sweating it, bastard old man." he ground out, trying not to raise his voice in the quiet inn, "I can pass the test, it's studying for the test that has to be within some serious time constraints. Especially since the list content for the exams is a fucking page long." Ed looked over the list of subjects and information he'd have to study up on in order to pass the exam, some of them based on subjects Edward recognized from the books he'd skimmed earlier such as Astronomy and Divination and a few others.

Mustang just shrugged facially and Ed deflated, sighing as he leaned back in the chair,

"It says that because I've been homeschool, coming from a different country, that they have no record of my family line or my current education level. And because I'm seventeen, I'll be a year six student so I'll need to pass their fifth year exams to be able to be enrolled. It says if my home schooling qualifies me to take the exam, then I have to be at Hogwarts on the morning of the 1st September, at eight AM, because that's when the tests have been scheduled for me. That means…" he sighed and ran a hand over his face a few times, "…that I have two days to cram five years of magic school content into my head." he finished, looking severely annoyed.

Mustang was quiet for a moment and then he ventured,

"Are you saying you can't do it, Fullmetal?"

"OF COURSE I CAN DO IT BASTARD!" Ed yelled and the owl startled, flapping its wings for a surprised moment as it looked at them in confusion. Mustang, used to being yelled at, just blinked lazily and Edward reeled in his temper after mumbling a curse. Mustang smirked,

"That's what I thought, I didn't doubt you for a second." he said sounding amused, "And need I remind you, Ed, we're doing this to get back home to everyone, to Alphonse." his voice was even now, serious.

Edward clenched his teeth as he sat back in the chair again with a heavy sigh, temper quelled at the thought of Alphonse laying in a hospital bed and wondering where Ed was while having to deal with his recovery all alone.

Mustang sighed then,

"I don't like to upset you, Ed," the teen was sure that was a bald-faced lie, "it's just that sometimes you need to be recalibrated and anger is the best way to do that." he informed calmly.

"One of these days…I'll kill you." Edward muttered quietly, with no conviction in his tone.

"I'm sure," Mustang said with a smile, "now, what's on that last page and also the other thing?" he asked, dismissing Ed's rather often stated threat. Edward sat forward as he squashed up his acceptance letter, and he tossed it at Mustang so that it bounced off the older man's head before he proceeded to pick up the second and third pages as one, along with the enclosed train ticket,

"It's a weird-ass train ticket and a shit-long list of school supplies that I'll need as a sixth year student. We'll definitely be needing more gold to buy all of this crap and all the books I'll need to study from…but, there doesn't seem to be a tuition fee, so I guess attendance is free or something." he explained as he scratched the side of his neck and glanced up at the colonel.

The older man raised his eyebrows,

"That's good news at least, we're not exactly rolling in currency right now and I'm going to have to support us both on whatever salary they pay me at that school." Mustang crossed his arms over his chest.

"Talk about a pay cut," Ed groaned, "I have to go from earning a shit load of Cenz on a monthly basis, to taking small change from you." he griped.

"Nothing to complain about, Fullmetal, since you were going to leave the military soon you'd have forfeited a nice pay raise and a promotion anyway, so you best get used to it." the colonel said flatly, almost in reprimand of Ed's decision to resign.

Ed figured it might be a joke, or at least was intended to be something like it, but the underlying serious way in which Mustang said it brought them both back to the reality of their own world. There was still a lot that was uncertain for them back in Amestris and while Mustang had expressed after the Promised Day that he wanted Ed to stay on under his command, Edward had declined and said he'd be resigning as soon as HQ was back in tact.

Now though, it seemed so far away…and like such a bad idea, somehow.

Edward shook the negative thoughts off and decided it was best to change the subject, thinking instead about what Mustang's letter had said,

"Tomorrow...you have to leave tomorrow."

"Hm, I didn't want to get separated in this crazy place, but at least it won't be for long and we're going to the same place in the end."  
Ed waved a hand,

"Yeah, yeah, it'll be fine, I can take care of myself and you're reasonably capable too." he quipped, but there was a line of concern between his eyebrows that said he didn't like the idea of being separated from the only anchor he had to his reality any more than Mustang did.

"Reasonably, huh? There is a Roy Mustang; two points, Edward Elric; zero, score outstanding that says otherwise." the colonel quipped right back. Edward glared at him, eyes narrowing,

" **What**? Don't make shit up, Mustang, what are you talking about?"

Wisely, Mustang stood up straight and stepped away from the table before he raised his index finger,

"I beat you once when we dueled at HQ."

"You sly bastard, you _cheated_." Edward was trying to turn him to ashes with his glare.

Mustang grinned and continued stepping backwards to a safer distance,

"And the second time…was when I took out hundreds of lifeless zombies under Central in one minute after you'd been fighting them for a half hour without making a dent."

Mustang ducked then, because Edward threw an unlit lamp at him.

* * *

Neither alchemist went back to sleep that night. After fixing the lamp with alchemy and Mustang apologizing to a confused and cautious Mister Owl for the ruckus, they sat on their respective beds and started discussing and planning quietly, talking in hushed tones and deciding how they'd proceed to get everything done with such bad time constraints.

When morning, or not as dark as night, came around, they left their room, and after a quick breakfast and an hour of listening to Tom tell a strange tale from his youth days, they left the Leaky Cauldron together. Mustang would not be coming back to stay that evening, only Ed would, and they needed to transmute more gold so they could buy the stuff both of them would need.

The atmosphere was tense between them. Edward never thought there'd come a time when he wanted Mustang around but in that world they were both unsettled by the prospect of getting separated and not knowing where to begin looking for one another if something went wrong.

The first thing they did was get more gold, which took up their entire morning, and after six or so hours and a few lucky finds, they'd alchemized a really good amount of gold. After that, at about one in the afternoon, they went straight to the book store where they purchased whatever applied magic books were available, because Mustang had to learn as much as he could on the subjects of potions, charms, spells, etc, because he would be teaching students across all years, 1 to 7, as the letter had stated and he had to know his shit. Also, he had to look and act like a legitimate wizard professor who knew basic magic stuff.

Edward also purchased all of the books he felt he needed, starting with school curriculum books, years 1 through 7, even if he was only supposed to know up to 6, and then a few others that were specific to the extra subjects tested for in the O.W.L's. Aside from that, he purchased other books that interested him. One was a book on dragons, another two were about Dark Magic, another was a really badly written, insultingly inaccurate book on alchemy, one book on arithmancy, and then lastly, one on defensive and offensive spells. Mustang gave him a bit of a frown when he saw Ed's choice of Dark Magic books, but he didn't ask and Edward didn't tell.

Even though he'd originally wanted to tell Mustang about the limitless energy of the magic world, he had at some point –that he wasn't even sure of- changed his mind, because now, he no longer wanted to.

They hauled all of the books back to their Leaky Cauldron room and then set out again to the robes shop. Diagon Alley was only slightly busier at that time, meaning that instead of ten people milling around, there were about twenty, but the atmosphere in the town was no better.

At 'Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions', Mustang purchased a black robe, a few white button down shirts, black and dark blue formal slacks and also two waistcoats in black and the same dark blue. He then bought a pair of plain white gloves, two left hands –much to the shopkeeper's confusion-, because he'd be using his ignition glove for his right hand, since he only had the one.

No matter how dangerous Mustang's alchemy could be, Edward still thought that having specialty alchemy was a weakness, because instead of just clapping his hands and transmuting shit, Mustang had to have the flint cloth ignition gloves, which hindered his fighting ability. Even now, when he no longer required the array to be sewn into the gloves, he still needed the spark the gloves provided, unless he was lucky enough to be in the presence of a fire when he needed it, which was unlikely, hence it was just inconvenient. Of course, that being said, his specialty was **incredibly** powerful and while Ed would never ask him, he'd secretly tried figuring out how Mustang did it and he'd thought he was getting minimally closer to cracking the code…before everything went to shit and Father nearly –well, he did technically- killed everyone.

While they were in the robe store, Mustang suggested that aside from the standard black robe Ed needed to purchase as per his requirements list, he should get some basic school clothes –'because you can't wear leather pants to school, Ed'- and Madam Malkin seemed only too happy to help him with that, asking what _house_ he was in. Ed just stared at her, wondering if he'd skipped the part about 'houses' in any of the books. What the actual fuck? But Mustang nudged him subtly and he'd quickly informed her that he was only enrolling for the first time, and then she seemed to know just what to do.

So she handed him three packed standard black robes, Madam Malkin informing him they were compulsory to be worn over his house uniform, which she said would be issued to him by the school. And she also let him know that if he ever needed a new uniform, he should stop by because she apparently stocked all of Hogwarts uniforms. He'd just smiled and nodded, because what else was he supposed to do when just the idea of a uniform made him cringe.

Aside from the robes, Ed bought a few white button down shirts, two pairs of slim fitting black school pants and a black hooded cloak. Malkin fussed over him a few times too many as she gathered his purchases together and she commented on what lovely blonde hair he had more than once, at one point asking something about him being related to the Malfoy's, a question which drew another blank stare from the confused teen. Edward assumed, correctly, that she was only fussing over him because of Mustang's flirting and smiling since the moment they'd arrived there. He wondered all the while, with a deep irritation, if the woman thought he was Mustang's son or some other bizarre family relation.

Egh.

"You're such a creep." Edward muttered as they left the shop carrying their purchases, stepping around a young kid and a man who was probably her parent as they were entering when he and Mustang were leaving.

"Why am I a creep?" Mustang asked with a smirk.

"Because, you were manipulating her." he said plainly.

"I was distracting her, she was observant and one of the first questions out of her mouth was whether I was from some specific wizard family line, and then she asked the same thing of you, remember? She obviously _knows_ people, Fullmetal, and she needed to have her focus redirected."

"I hate you."

"Of course you do."

Ed sighed,

"So that's all you needed right, you can get lost now?" he shifted his clothing bags from his still slowly strengthening right hand to his strong left hand. Mustang glanced at him, looking tired,

"Not just yet, Fullmetal, there's one thing that isn't on either of our lists, but that we both need if we're going to convince anyone that we're wizards." he answered quietly as someone walked by hurriedly.

"What's that?"

"Wands."

Silence, and then,

"Fuuuuuuuck." Edward hissed quietly, "We **really** need to have _wands_."

Mustang raised his eyebrows,

"I believe we might even need to pretend to use them, can you believe it?" he asked with amused sarcasm.

"Uhg."

* * *

Mustang informed Ed that 'Ollivander's, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C _'_ –and actually, fuck that confusing title-, was one of the stores further down in Diagon Alley that seemed to have taken some sort of fire or looting damage recently. For that reason, since they needed wands and it seemed to be the only place they could get any, as far as they knew, they had to wait until the streets of Diagon Alley were emptier so that they could check the shop out. And the waiting was problematic, because Mustang had to be at Hogwarts at 5 PM, so their time frame was very limited to see if they could find wands.

After making a few other stops they returned to their room and Ed passed the hour of waiting with his full attention on the first few of the many books he'd bought for the tests, while Mustang packed his stuff into a valise he'd purchased in one of the stores. By 4.15 PM they decided they had to risk it and they were lucky at least that the area around the fire damaged shops was pretty empty of passersby. So they left the Leaky Cauldron and soon found themselves creeping into Ollivander's entrance through a damaged, broken in door, with the glass from the windows crunching under their boots.

Mustang was wearing his black robe over a white shirt and black pants, which decreased his visibility inside the dark wrecked store. And Ed was also wearing his usual black clothes under the black cloak he'd purchased –because it was cold outside. The robes also served to make them stand out less too, which was a very good thing.

Once inside the dark store, they moved further in quietly and Mustang stopped at one point to pick up a cracked but not broken fire lamp, and he snapped his fingers to light it up. It only provided dull lighting in the narrow aisles of the shop, which had a high ceiling and equally high damaged shelves, but it was better than nothing. The shop was pretty big though, and as they went further into the back aisles, they realized that that was a good thing, because while the front of the store had taken the most damage, farther in the back the high shelves were still stacked with untouched and undamaged boxes, it looked like hundreds actually, in which they suspected were wands.

"Right, so, I guess any one should do." Mustang said in a hushed tone as he raised the lamp closer to the shelf wall beside them and he looked over the short sides of the boxes which had the Ollivander's shop emblem on them.

"Yeah, I guess." Edward said as he randomly pulled out a box from the shelf. It was a thin, lightweight and dark red box, and after he blew some dust off the lid, he opened it and saw that inside was a slightly crooked wooden stick that had a thinner tip end and a thicker grip end.

Satisfied that the stick would serve its purpose, he closed the box and glanced over to see that Mustang had also pulled a random box out, a bluish one, from the same shelf but a little further down,

"Right, now, how much do you think these cost?" he asked quietly as he looked into the box to make sure the stick was in there and then he closed it again.

"You wanna pay for em'?" Edward glanced around at the obviously abandoned shop.

"We're not thieves, Fullmetal." the older man shot him a 'try to remember that' look.

Edward rolled his eyes and grumbled about dumbass colonels, but even so, they made their way to the counter area in the shop and after digging through his pockets, Mustang left a nice handful of gold coins under the counter. Edward thought it was stupid because someone could **steal** it, but he said nothing.

After that they headed back to their room at the Leaky Cauldron and once Mustang had removed the wand from its box and put it in a convenient wand-shaped pocket hidden in his robes, he grabbed his suitcase and they made their way downstairs to the pub.

The letter Mustang received from the school had requested he travel to Hogwarts by Floo.

After reading about the Floo Network in one of the books Mustang had purchased for that very reason, they now knew it referred to the green flames they'd travelled to Diagon Alley via, and they'd also learned that when travelling from anywhere else other than the Ministry, you needed Floo Powder and to announce exactly where you were going. And they'd easily managed to find the purchasable green powder in one of the shops…and right then it was time to use it.

"Well, have a good trip then, hope to see you around here again some time." Tom said with a friendly smile from behind the bar in the empty establishment. Edward glanced over at him when Mustang smiled and nodded, and then he turned back to look at the older man, who was decked out in black robes , looking like every other person dressed in Diagon Alley. And with his black hair and fair complexion he actually looked quite severe, especially in all the gloom around them. The colonel also looked quite worried and Edward hated that he felt and probably looked worried too. He dipped his head after a moment of staring at his C.O,

"Don't die." he mumbled through clenched teeth.

Mustang didn't say anything immediately and Ed expected to look up and find the man looking smug and amused at his concern, but instead, the worried look was worse and the older man sighed and spoke quietly,

"You be careful, Fullmetal. You have to travel by train and that means you have to go into that London place."

"I have directions, I won't get lost." Edward snapped, feeling nervous and hating it.

"I wasn't implying that you would." Mustang used his 'shut up and listen' tone of voice and Edward scratched his neck idly and looked away, scowling, "Just be **careful**." he repeated and after a moment Ed nodded stiffly.

When a heavy hand landed on his shoulder he looked at Mustang again,

"I'll see you in two days." the older man said as surely as he could.

"Yeah." Edward responded, not as surely.

And then Mustang turned to look into the fire place of the pub as he took out his pouch of green powder, opening the tie and pouring out a palmful before putting the rest away. He picked up his suitcase then and stepped into the fireplace, turning to face Edward and he looked at the teen with a raised eyebrow and an uncertain look before he opened his mouth and just as clearly as the book had stated he needed to, he said,

"Hogwarts." before he threw the powder down at his feet.

Ed didn't have the chance to blink before the green flames had engulfed Mustang…and then the colonel was gone.

Slowly, he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and he frowned at the empty fireplace, feeling very alone all of a sudden...and even more worried.

' _Two days…'_ he mentally reminded himself, ' _…just two days.'_

* * *

 **Next Chapter: HP character appearances and Roy's POV!**


	4. Quattuor

**A/n: For reference images, please visit the AO3 upload**

 **-This is not beta-read, apologies for any mistakes**

* * *

 **Automatic and out of my reach**

* * *

The rest of the evening found Ed cramming what he literally felt was useless knowledge, into his memory banks, and he'd gone through quite a few books by the time it was late evening, having read through all of the main subject texts first. And while doing so, Edward had realized something…

…magic was _easy_.

The subject syllabi were ridiculously short from year one through to five, even if you were taking additional classes. It seemed as though the students were expected to take anywhere from a week to a month to complete and perfect a few of the termly tasks, so the actual subject matter of each term wasn't very much.

In the first five years, each year they'd learn a total of about six major spells, four major potions and it was similar in the 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' and 'Charms' class lessons. The 'Transfiguration' classes were even less, the subject matter in such a fascinating field of study was almost pathetic with only about two or three major abilities to learn and master. Only the sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts seemed to increase in content and difficulty and even then, compared to having learned complex alchemy between the ages of three and nine, magic was nothing. It was child's play.

And what was more, not only was magic super easy, but magic folk were apparently fucking _oblivious_.

Essentially, they had the power of a Philosopher's Stone free- flowing through their world without cost for its power, it just **existed** , pure and warm and clean. They could do _anything_ , literally _anything_ …and yet, they had **no idea** and no comprehension of it. They just used spells, spells and charms that didn't require explanation or logic. Their text books just instructed that all they had to do was wave a wand –which was made with magical essences as a crutch- and to say a directive word of foreign language and then whatever the book said would happen, happened. Oh sure, the magic user had to at least _mostly_ know what the word meant and had to expect a certain outcome, so there was a very basic level of required understanding, but still, it was almost as if the wand did most of the work for the witch or wizard.

And their books explained _nothing_. Because again, the magic required no explanation, it was just there, available to anyone –Ed theorized- who had a connection to the Gate. Which was probably different but also similar to alchemy, the difference being that with alchemy, you could forge a connection to the Gate simply by practicing the science, whereas in magic, it seemed you had to be born with a connection to whatever kind of Gate or Truth supplied the magic power.

The simplicity of it though, it both irked and fascinated Ed, the fact that there was no calculation, physics or logic required to use the power, and that the magic was unlimited and apparently just did more or less _whatever you told it to_ …it was so unbalanced…and yet endlessly useful if one knew **how** to use it.

And alchemists would know how to use it…Ed knew how to use it.

He grimaced as the thought made its way through his mind, because he imagined then just what magic could do if the users of it properly understood it and took advantage of it, _directed_ and _applied_ it. Not all of them would be able to, because it would require in depth alchemic knowledge, but the few who could learn complex sciences…how would they use it? In the end, it always came back down to the fact that people with dark intentions would abuse a great power, and so it was probably a good thing that the magic energy was so dreadfully underutilized…

…so very, terribly underutilized…the power of a Philosopher's Stone just available for use at any time.

When a bracing idea occurred to him, Ed's pulse quickened and he looked down at his bare automail leg. He was lying on his bed in the quiet room of the Leaky Cauldron Inn, wearing his black tank shirt and boxers, with only a single lamp lit beside him on the nightstand to provide light while he read, and Ed stared intensely at his automail, his mind running a mile a minute as he wiggled his metal toes and wondered whether he cou-

"!" Mister Owl made a brief screeching squawk noise that abruptly interrupted Edward's thoughts…his thoughts about testing his theory of magic energy being the same as a Philosopher's Stone, by attempting to restore his leg. He blinked a few times and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as the weight of such a possibility settled in his chest, making him feel far too excited and a little uncomfortable because of it. Ed closed the book he'd been reading then, placing it beside him on the bed before he rubbed his hands over his face and pressed his fingers into his eyes.

He'd read that Transfiguration taught magic users how to change animals into inanimate objects and the reverse of that same spell, which was disturbing and also very much within the range of a Philosopher's Stone's power. And really, if simplistic, uncomprehending wizards could do that by just _willing_ it after only reading what a spell _should_ do, then hell, the things that he would be able to do because he actually knew how to alter things physically from their core…it would be…wow…

Edward clenched his fists tightly as the thoughts of endless possibilities circled around in his mind. He sat up from where he was leaned against the headboard and tried to clear his mind, running his hands through his open hair, tucking it back behind his ears before rubbing his hands over his face again and taking a few deep breaths…but in the end, he couldn't help looking at his automail leg again.

He wouldn't be able to ignore the curiosity, he **needed** to _test_ it.

He needed to test if he could use the energy _exactly_ as he would a Philosopher's Stone.

Edward swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up and glancing around the room before he walked over to the table and chairs in the corner. He pulled one of the chairs aside, so it was in a more open space and then he stood staring at it for a moment, conscious of his increased heartbeat, aware of the anticipation he was feeling, because if what he was planning worked, then it would prove his theory was correct.

It would mean magic energy was an independent equivalent of an unlimited Philosopher's Stone.

Ed took a breath, easily stringing a calculation together in his mind and then he touched his palms together, and the warm energy rushed through him, sparking deep purple and pink arches of energy all along his arms, the quantity and quality of it so much more abundant than alchemic energy had ever been, even after Father's control over it had been severed. Magic energy ran so fucking deep that Edward felt like he could lose himself in it…if he were a lesser man. But the Gate hadn't been able to break him, and there was no way in hell magic would.

He grinned, slight but sharp as he crouched down to place his hands on the floor and using physics, something magic users didn't do, Ed deconstructed the chair. But instead of keeping the compounds and materials of _wood_ in his mind during the reconstruction, he instead did what would have been impossible with standard alchemic law, but not impossible with a Philosopher's Stone, Edward changed the calculation in his mind to alter the matter of the chair to the chemical makeup of _water_.

And his breath caught in his throat when within seconds a rune-less, featureless circle appeared in the floor around the chair and the wood structure broke down into a puddle of water, which Ed kept contained within the still active energy circle glowing with flaring arches. His pulse was racing faster and faster as he stared at the transmutation, his golden eyes wide and he was amazed and thrilled that he'd been right…magic was limitless, it was boundless and that meant he could _defy_ the laws of alchemy and physics with it.

So Ed didn't stop there, and instead of breaking the water down to gas to let it rise into the air as steam so it would naturally progress and dissipate, Edward did a completely unnatural transmutation and he _forced_ gravity and the free structure of space to _obey_ him. And again, within seconds, he'd reconstructed the chair inside the circle, except the chair was still made of water in its liquid state.

He was shaking lightly as he stared at it in shock and wonder, because it defied every law, insulted everything he'd ever been taught in science, it made no logical sense and yet it _thrilled_ him.

Blinking out of his dazed stupor when he realized he was digging his blunt nails into the wooden floor, Ed took a second to form a new equation in his mind. He froze the liquid water quickly, exactly as it was in the shape of the chair and only once it stood in the new physical body of solid ice, did he lift his hands from the floor, leaving the circle and its energy to snap and flicker out to nothing as he fell back to sit on his butt, wide eyed.

He let out a rattled breath and swallowed tensely, his throat clicking loudly in the quiet room,

"S-shit…Alphonse, if you c-could…if we'd had…" he clenched his eyes shut and immediately stopped whispering useless nonsense to himself. His stomach was shaking with fear and excitement and it was making him feel a little dizzy and very nauseous. He felt sort of emotionally confused as well, suddenly having access to the power that he'd always **loathed** because it had required blood sacrifices, when now he was faced with it as a free, pure energy that gave him access to the kind of power he'd once needed so desperately and could still use in so many ways…it was the kind of power that people he'd known had literally killed to have. And now, now no one had to die for him to use it. It made him feel furious and elated, which collectively just resulted in an awful headache.

And magic users really had no idea, they were so restricted in their magic use, they had so many limitations, all because they had no understanding of dynamic energy, physical science and matter. They simply believed their words and wands channeled their magic…they didn't even realize that there was so much more to it.

And 'muggles' were even more clueless.

Thinking of muggles, Ed wondered then whether intelligent non-magic users would be able to access the magic energy via alchemy, even if they weren't able to use magic-magic without the born right. It was yet another curious thought that Ed had to shake off, because it didn't matter, it wasn't his problem.

He was getting off track.

With a short sigh, he pushed himself to his feet, not looking at the ice chair he'd created against all logic, as he moved to sit at the foot of the nearest bed, which was –or had been- Mustang's. Edward glanced behind himself at the wide awake and curiously blinking owl where it sat against Mustang's pillows watching him, before he pressed his fingers into his eyes and leaned forward, elbows on his knees,

"Muggles are probably closer to people from my world than magic users are," he considered quietly to himself, "they're just people like mom, Winry, Hawkeye and millions of others who can't understand it so they don't practice alchemy." he was guessing, though, he had no way of knowing.

He considered though, that the selectivity of the magic Gate could be similar to the way that only alchemists who had seen the alchemy Gate could do transmutations without a circle, perhaps you had to have been exposed to the magic Gate in some way before you could use magic-magic. Whatever the reason was that magic seemed to only be available to select people, one thing was for sure, the Gate of that world was vastly different than the one of their own, because Ed hadn't paid a toll to bring himself and Mustang there, and alchemy's Gate would _never_ have allowed that.

Honestly, he could probably have sat there for hours contemplating the possibilities, but Ed brushed the thoughts aside easily, because however it worked for wizards, witches and muggles, it didn't matter to him. What did matter, was that he had the unlimited power like that of a Philosopher's Stone at his fingertips, and he just couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting back to his **automail** **leg**.

He knew he should only be thinking about getting home, but it was hard to focus on that when it wasn't something he could work on until he was at Hogwarts. And Ed wouldn't take chances messing with that strange array until he understood it, that array that had brought them through the magic Gate, the 'safe' Gate that didn't take any kind of payment from them. Until he understood all of those symbols and knew everything he needed to about them, so that he and Mustang could travel back home safely, Ed wouldn't even consider risking any test arrays.

But all of that had _nothing_ to do with his present existence in the magic world, it had nothing to do with his metal leg and the fact that he may be able to easily recreate a flesh leg for himself.

"Ugh…" he groaned into his hands. It was irritating him that he was having so much trouble keeping his thoughts straight, he felt like he was too overly eager to use the excess power he had access to. And Edward had never been power hungry…but then, he'd always had a goal to focus his abilities on in the past, he'd always just wanted the alchemic power to get Al's body back, that had been all there was at the forefront of his mind for a long time.

But now Al had his flesh body back…but Edward didn't have both of his limbs, and that would have been okay, had he not presently been in a world where he had access to magic energy in overabundance and could easily change that.

He took another deep breath as he mentally –and sternly- told himself 'no', shaking his head and reminding himself to keep his thoughts clear, he just needed to focus on getting to Hogwarts, to the library there, in order to find a safe way home.

Ed dragged his hands down off his face and then he looked around the dimly lit room, his eyes settling on the nightstand between the beds where the red wand box was set exactly as he'd placed it earlier before Mustang had left. Ed grimaced when he was reminded that he'd have to use the wand to keep up appearances, that he wouldn't be able to just do alchemy as he usually did. Wow, that was gonna' be a pain in the ass.

Sighing in frustration, he stood up and walked over to his bed, sitting down near the nightstand as he picked up the wand box. Ed removed the lid and turned it over in his hand so that he could read the small line of print inside the box lid, it was written along the side,

"Redwood with Dragon Core, twelve and a half inches…hard flexibility…" he blinked, making a considerable effort not to burst out laughing as he tossed the lid behind him, "… **okay** then." he muttered with twitching lips as he took the wand out. He tested the finely crafted stick in his right hand grip, noting that his fingers were still much frailer and fairer than his left, as was his wrist.

Edward's gaze lingered on his hand and wrist then, the wand forgotten.

Swallowing lightly, Edward set the wand down on the nightstand and without clapping his hands he was still able to the draw the magic energy into his senses, feeling it ready to be used, warm and alive in his veins, which was both scary and awesome. He placed his left hand on his right bicep then…but he didn't do anything, because what he was considering was essentially a form of human transmutation.

Wasn't it?

But anyway, he'd healed himself before with his own life energy, and he'd used external human energy to transmute before, so the only difference right then would be that he would be using magic.

He counted to three and then before he could talk himself out of it, Ed closed his eyes and having already confirmed that he could channel the energy without clapping, he'd now attempt to use the energy to see if he could heal and repair his flesh. So as he would usually have done in order to transmute a blade out of his former automail arm, Edward applied the energy as well as the medical knowledge required into an equation before he drew his open hand down over his right arm. Subtle arches of purple energy flared up, tingling and prickling over his skin as he restored his muscle and tissue and the tendons inside his arm to a healthy state, and while it was on a much smaller scale, the transmutation was not unlike what he'd done just two weeks earlier when he'd restored Al's body.

It took about a minute of careful thought and application, because it was his newly returned arm he was messing with and Edward knew that his human flesh was not to be taken for granted, especially after the risk Al had taken to get his arm back to him. And when it was over, and the energy -that he could now control at will- faded away when he was done with it, Edward swallowed tensely and for a moment he didn't dare to look at his arm.

He took a few deep breaths first, and when Edward finally forced himself to look at his right arm, he let out a shuddering breath as he laid eyes on his perfectly proportioned, newly restored and well-toned –albeit still too pale- limb.

"Motherfucker…" he breathed out as he flexed his right hand and made a solid fist.

His mind raced as he flexed his right hand and he was thinking of Alphonse and how he wished he could use the magic energy to heal his little brother up completely…and then abruptly his thoughts veered right back to the state of his left leg and Edward clenched his other hand on his metal knee and firmly told himself again, 'No.'

He'd only admit it to himself, but Ed was _afraid_ to replace what he knew technically 'belonged' to the alchemy Gate, he was afraid that there'd be some butterfly effect if he messed with the limb that he, by the laws of alchemy, rightfully no longer had. And he really didn't want to return home one day and find that his decision to create a new leg had affected something in his world…or worse, return home after having been through the Gate again, and having had his leg taken a second time _._ And it wasn't just paranoia, because while he hated that he had to be afraid of the Truth even when he no longer had a connection to it, Ed knew how powerful it was, and he knew how cruel it was too.

With a deep sigh, he glanced at the wand again and to distract himself, he picked it up in his now restored right hand and experimentally pointed it at the –slowly melting- ice chair, getting a feel for the thin stick of wood, Ed considered some of the spells he'd read about in the first and second years books.

When he settled on one he wanted to try, he stood up and pointed the wand at the chair, and deciding to attempt it in the book's instructed way, Edward very lightly flicked the wand and said,

"Wingardium Leviosa." and he raised his eyebrows when at first the wand didn't do anything, he was unimpressed. But then Ed felt a strange energy feedback from the wand, just as he had from the wall in the back of the Leaky Cauldron. It was as if the wand was aware of him and it felt…curious and uncertain. Edward held onto it as it slowly became warmer in his hand and it took a moment to make sense, but Ed realized with amazement that the sentient-like energy in the wand was intermingling with his own consciousness, it was feeling him out, sizing him up.

It felt super weird, as if something was crawling directly under his skin, trying to connect with him and the wand was getting hotter and hotter in his hand, until it abruptly eased off, the sentience of it feeling oddly subdued as the heat began to recede. Ed raised his eyes from the wand then, when he noticed movement and he watched with a hiked eyebrow as the chair began to rise slowly and evenly off the ground.

And okay, so the wands were apparently far more involved in the magic execution than he'd given them credit for, but was it normal for the wand to try and connect with the user that way?

Edward narrowed his eyes, looking from the floating chair to the wand before he dismissed the weird feeling lingering under his skin and slowly, he pointed the wand upward, watching as the chair rose higher.

"Huh." he clenched the wand tightly in his hand and then decided to try it his way, but while still using the wand for show as he'd have to do at Hogwarts. Using his brilliant mind, Edward tapped into the magic energy directly, feeling it draw into him from his feet upwards, and it was such a heady rush to command the energy so easily.

Was that how Father had felt with all that alchemic power under his control?

Blinking a few times to expel the thought of the homunculus from his mind, Ed kept the wand pointed at the chair as he commanded the energy to follow his equations. And it definitely helped that the wand was a magic conduit because even though the energy flashed and flared around his hand, the pink and purple arcs were also just as drawn to the wand. So at least when the energy passed into the wand and leapt with a crackle across the space to the chair, it appeared _mostly_ as though it came out of the wand. Ed mentally catalogued all of the new information as he watched the chair reconstruct itself as wood again from the legs up, and then he abruptly severed the levitation charm and the chair hit the floor with a 'thump' on all four legs.

It had been a near seamless coalescence of alchemy and magic, if not for the energy that had started in his hand and had flared out beyond the wand, the transmutation reaction would have been pretty close to successfully concealed. As it were though, Ed knew he'd have to work on it until it became properly passable as magic, or at least something that appeared closer to the indistinct essence that emitted from the tip of the wand when using a spell.

Ed inhaled quietly and clenched his hand around the wand grip, feeling the sentience in the wand again as if it were adjusting to him, accommodating him. And it caught up with him quite suddenly, everything that had happened in the last twenty minutes, the chair, his arm, the wand, the **power**.With a brief swell of excited panic in his chest, Ed's breathing rapidly increased and he sat down on the bed again, hastily dropping the wand on the nightstand,

"I should get back to reading," he mumbled to himself, rubbing his warm hands over the bed cover on either side of his bare thighs, "this shit is too much." Ed shook his head and took several deep breaths to calm down again.

It took a few long seconds, but once he'd regained control over his breathing and the overeager feeling burning in the pit of his stomach, Ed rubbed his hands vigorously over his face and then glanced down at the floor to the pile of books at his feet. He had only read thoroughly through the first and seconds years books, and he still had to get through all the rest in order to pass the written test he'd be facing. It was amazing though, that just hours earlier he'd been wondering for the umpteenth time if all of this undercover shit was worth it, but now having found something about magic –that he hated- that he liked, Edward thought it was more than worth it.

He had to force himself to focus though, and not to think about the physics and logic defying power that he now had access to…and he also had to force himself not to think about his automail.

Resolutely, Ed picked up a year three book from the pile before settling back against the headboard of the bed and starting to read again. And in the back of his mind, Edward considered telling Mustang when he saw him again, about the power they were both able to use, but for some reason Ed wasn't sure of yet, he just didn't want to, not yet…just not yet.

* * *

Edward fell asleep at some point and woke up at around nine AM the following morning with a third year 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' textbook open on his chest. He groggily shoved the book aside and then made his way to the bathroom, where he relieved himself and then cleaned up for the day, taking a quick bath, washing out his boxer shorts and drying them with alchemy before using the ingredients-alchemized toothpaste he'd made the day before to brush his teeth.

When he was done, Ed left the bathroom to get dressed, and after pulling on his leather pants, his tank shirt and jacket, giving them a quick alchemy press to make them presentable, Ed deftly braided his hair and then ran his fingers through his bangs a few times to untangle his fine blonde hair. And before he headed out of the room to start his day, he opened the window for Mister Owl and left a handful of owl treats on the table for him, and then with some gold in his pocket to buy the remainder of his listed school supplies, Ed left the room.

* * *

Because he had been 'homeschooled', Hogwarts had sent him a full list of things he'd need as a sixth year student, but at least what was left to buy would only require one trip to and from the shops because he'd bought all the books and robes already. Ed skipped over going back to the robe shop a second time, because he wasn't going to buy a pointed hat, **ever** , and he didn't need protective gloves since he already had his own.

Also, if it came down to it he knew he could alter his new robes –even better than he could before- if he needed them to suit a change in weather.

He specifically didn't allow thoughts on the subject of what he could do with magic energy to linger, he'd forced himself not to think about it since he woke up that morning and for the time being, he would continue to do so.

The first item on his remaining supplies list was a friggen' cauldron, so Ed made his way to the relevant place, 'Potage's Cauldron Shop' to purchase one –at a reduced price-, and he couldn't help laughing as he was paying for the strange item, despite how the store owner was looking at him like he was crazy. After that, he went on to buy a telescope and a scale, just what they were for, he had no idea.

On his second trip out after having dropped his purchases off at the Inn and then having eaten something, it was around lunchtime and Ed immediately noticed the dull, overcast darkened street was busier than usual, and it was with young people. Edward walked down the street heading away from the Leaky Cauldron as inconspicuously as possible as he followed two young teenage boys in the direction of where he knew Ollivander's to be, and just before reaching the fire damaged shops of Diagon Alley, they quickly crossed the street and Ed noticed that they were heading to a large shop that had been closed just the day before, but was now open, lit up with noise and customers and it seemed to be the main attraction of the young crowds.

Ed continued on down the street, slipping his hands into his pockets as he stopped just off to the side and across the street from the shop. It was called 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'…quite a name, and the kids of varying ages who were rushing in and out were all looking at him, some curiously staring a little longer than others, but in the end they all just kept moving along. After a minute of observing, Edward gave the shop a final bored once over and was about to turn around and head back up the street to the book store, because maybe he'd missed one or two books…but then he saw something outside the store and his eyes widened slightly.

It appeared to be, and essentially was, a roasted nut machine, except for the fact that on a grill above the nuts, Ed spotted a small lizard-like winged creature that was breathing fire…and he just **knew** it had to be a **dragon**. Edward struggled to keep the fascination off his face as he crossed the street and walked over to the machine, coming around the side of it so he could look properly through the glass at the feisty little dragon.

"Shit…" he breathed out in amazement. He officially **loved** it, and there were very few things that Edward really loved. He loved his brother and he loved alchemy, he loved delicious food and sparring…and now he also loved dragons, and seeing it instead of just reading about it made it so much more real.

The tiny creature eventually noticed him staring, right after it'd huffed out a narrow breath of fire and as it turned to look at him, it made an audible rolling 'R' sound and then slowly approached the glass. Ed watched in awe as it tapped the glass with its nose, as if trying to test its limits, or as if it were trying to acknowledge him and Edward locked eyes with it. It was immediately intense because the animals in the magic world seemed to be so much more intelligent than was usual. The dragon stared at him with inquisitive interest, and it made soft curious sounds a few times before it blinked, broke eye contact and then just turned and walked away, using its wings for balance as it tottered around on the grill, breathing more fire over the nuts.

Ed stared for a minute longer before he was distracted from watching the fine creature by the sound of girlish giggling and whispering. He stood up straighter and looked around for the source of the noise and he spotted a group of four girls walking by, all of them glancing at him in turns and when they saw him watching them, they giggled even more and smiled at him, one of them waving shyly.

Edward just lowered his eyes from the girls without responding to them, instead he looked back to the dragon, finding it far more fascinating and interesting than the tittering teenage girls who likely didn't have a clue about…well, life. Ed smiled at how the dragon seemed to be showing off, flapping its wings as it raised the spikes on its head and preened under the prolonged attention.

He thought of Envy then, and what a hideous and massive thing he'd been, an abomination in every sense of the word. But from what Ed had read about dragons, he knew they would eventually grow to be about as big as Envy had been in his true form, and Ed tried to imagine the tiny dragon in the machine growing to be that size, thinking of how powerful and beautiful it'd become. It would be entirely different to Envy, that was for sure, a dragon's size would make it regal and intimidating, not grotesque and obscene.

He exhaled quietly, still smiling down at the dragon as he pulled his state alchemist watch out of his pocket before flipping it open to check the time. Having reset his watch to the time on the clock in the Leaky Cauldron, Ed read that it was barely midafternoon, but he figured he should get back to the Inn after buying one -or two- more books, and then he'd continue 'studying'. He still had the rest of the night and the following day to get through the remaining school books, but he wanted as much of it out of the way as possible before he had to leave Diagon Alley.

He still had to worry about going through London to get to the train station, where he had to find a platform that made no sense whatsoever.

' _If Mustang and I ever get back home, I'm not sure anyone will actually believe this place exists, they'll think we're both nuts. But Al would though, he'd believe me…'_ he clenched his hand around his watch as he thought of his little brother, a world away. With a deep sigh, Ed slipped the watch back into his pocket and then he started walking up the street the way he'd come.

When he was nearing the book store, Ed looked up from the pavement just as two people were coming down along the street toward him, a woman and a guy. Both of them were dressed in dark colors –like just about everyone he'd seen so far- and they both had white-blonde hair, although the woman had dark hair as well in a separate part from the blonde, which was kind of weird as far as hairstyles went. They both looked at him as they drew nearer, the woman curiously and the guy with a scowl. And Ed noticed that the guy looked really young compared to the woman, so despite being decked out in a black suit and being around Mustang's height -and kind of lanky-, Ed guessed that he was probably close to his own age.

As they walked directly past him, for some baffling reason, the woman smiled at him. And while it didn't seem all that pleasant in nature, it also didn't seem to be fake either. The tall boy with her didn't even really meet Ed's eyes, apparently he'd only deigned to stare at Ed from a distance, choosing to look away with some kind of forced aloofness the moment they were in close range.

Ed didn't pay them too much mind, instead he just cocked an eyebrow and looked straight ahead as he continued walking up the street at an even pace. The entire brief exchange had been odd, and being smiled at so much was giving him the creeps. He hadn't seen many people who weren't shrouded in cloaks since he'd been there, so it was weird to see so many people now, appearing and behaving more normally. He'd almost gotten used to and comfortable with the anonymous gloominess.

By the time he reached 'Flourish and Blotts', Ed had put the strange pair out of his mind and he walked into the book store with a sense of relief, expecting it to be empty…but when he stepped in and glanced around, he found there were already a few people inside.

Ed just pointedly avoided their glances as he went to the stairs and skipped two at a time, ascending quickly and intending to disappear between the shelves. And he had just turned the first shelf corner smoothly when he walked straight into someone and knocked them backwards. Edward was nothing if not steady on his feet, and he took the bump with good reaction balance, barely stepping back, but the person who he'd walked into stumbled backwards quite a bit and had to balance themselves against the shelf to stay upright.

"Ah, sorry." he mumbled absently and he reached out as if he might help the girl up, but it was an empty gesture because he didn't actually touch her. Ed didn't really do the whole gallantry thing, and he wasn't big on touching people either if he could help it.

The girl looked a bit confused by the half-gesture, but after glancing at his hovering gloved hands, she just laughed awkwardly and righted herself against the shelf on her own,

"Sorry about that..." she said in an unoffended but oddly embarrassed tone –as if she'd been the one to walk into him- and she was still huffing soft laughter as she picked up the thick book she'd dropped before she stood up, "…really, I didn't-…" and when she looked at him, her mouth hung open for a brief moment before she found her words again, "…-oh, um, I, I just didn't…" she blinked and then smiled and laughed even more awkwardly, reaching up to smooth a hand over her tied back, mousy brown hair, "…I didn't look where I was going _at all_ ," another laugh, "had my nose in this book..." she raised it between them as if he hadn't seen it already.

'This book', Edward glanced at it, was a sixth/seventh year textbook called 'A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration'. He figured then that she was probably a Hogwarts student, possibly in the year he'd be entering into…and presently…she was blushing quite obviously at him with an awkward smile as they stood there.

Now, Edward, as a general rule, didn't _deal with_ female interactions. That was almost always Al's department, because his younger brother knew how to talk to girls and act around them and be nice and tactful to them. Ed just pretty much treated girls the same way he treated everyone else, which apparently, was not how you were meant to treat a female person…or something like that. Mustang had 'advised' him about that at some point too, maybe when Ed had been about 15 or so, and Ed vaguely remembered partially falling asleep at the time.

He honestly assumed that that was why Winry always got so mad at him and called him insensitive…

And yeah, he didn't want to think of Winry right then, or of Al, or of home at all, because that was all a world away, totally out of reach, while the awkward brunette, brown eyed girl before him was expecting him to say something right then. Edward blinked at her, raised his eyebrows and then just shrugged, deciding to say the first thing that came to mind,

"S'okay." and he then proceeded to navigate his way around her.

He heard her mumble something like ' _oh, alright, good_ ' in one of those quietly unsure tones, but he didn't look back. Ed just needed to get a few extra books to read in his spare time and then he'd head back to the Inn.

* * *

For the remainder of the evening and the day that followed, Ed lied low and aside from taking bathroom, eating and sleeping breaks and going out into Diagon Alley once or twice when he had to, he passed the time reading, practicing magic and honing the skill of concealing his alchemic reactions. And as he studied and practiced, he'd successfully managed to avoid thinking about the unlimited power literally all around him, instead he focused totally on absorbing the information he'd have to regurgitate onto the test he'd be given at Hogwarts. In his breaks though, he did find himself thinking about whether it was nighttime in Amestris, and whether Alphonse was asleep when he was, or if he was sitting up in his hospital bed worrying about him.

And at one point while Ed had been doing his morning stretching routine, he'd been thinking about Al and how eager he'd been to start physiotherapy so he could get physically stronger again, when out of nowhere a really horrible possibility had occurred to him. It'd left him shaken for a few hours after, when he'd been unable to dismiss the idea that maybe time was not passing in Amestris at the same pace it was in the magic world, and that could mean so many things…like that maybe only an hour had passed in his own world and Alphonse wasn't even aware that he was missing, or worse, more time had passed in his world than in the magic world and he and Mustang had been missing for weeks or months.

Ed had eventually **forced** the thought from his mind, fully aware that he couldn't allow himself to go there mentally because he'd drive himself crazy with worry. So he'd told himself that the whole idea was just ridiculous and too bizarre to consider. He had to just believe that the two worlds could not possibly be that different.

* * *

By six PM on the evening of the 31st of August, Edward was dressed, packed up and ready to leave for Platform _whatever the fuck_ –as he'd decided to call it- with all of his –far too many- school supplies, which were all untidily stuffed into a large trunk he'd purchased, and found that he quite despised already. Inconvenient was too kind a word to describe the size of it, especially for his colorful vocabulary. He was so used to and really just preferred to carry one simple suitcase around with him, so it sucked that he was stuck with a big, stupid trunk.

But then, just when he'd resigned himself to having to lug the trunk around, as he was gently ushering Mister Owl into his cage as the final thing he had to pack, an idea to solve the problem of the trunk, that Ed would never have had as an option before due to the sheer impossibility of it, popped into his mind.

Encouraged by the idea, Edward turned away from the cage to look at his unwieldy trunk before he reached into the thin pocket in his cloak and pulled out his wand. He still managed to feel ridiculous just holding the thin stick, but Ed took to magic like a fish to water and in his usual gaudy manner, he flicked the wand up into the air and when it flipped over and came back down, he caught it by the handle and pointed it at the trunk.

With a smirk on his face, Ed decided on the generic spell he'd need to solve his problem and then, using plain and simple magic instead of alchemy or a mix of the two, Ed said,

" _Diminuendo_."

He watched with a crooked grin as a white light flashed at the tip of the wand and then the trunk shrunk inside a vague swirl of energy until it was the size of a nice easy-carry sized case. When Ed drew his hand back the magic severed and he took a moment to look at the wand closely. He'd noted earlier that day while practicing, that when he channeled the energy through the wand in an alchemic manner, the wood actually heated to his skin and the sentience of the wand would feel sort of strained, but when he just did plain magic-magic, he felt nothing.

Somehow, the magic-magic seemed to react to the foreign language commands naturally and without hesitance, as if it were preprogrammed that way or something. Ed's thoughts wandered then to the idea that maybe the magic Gate had something to do with limiting wizards and witches magic to such silly words, just as the alchemy Gate had laws and rules alchemists had to follow. When he looked at it like that, it kind of made sense. And of course, there he was, breaking the -possible- magic Gate's rules just as he'd broken the laws of his own world's Gate. Ed raised a fine blonde eyebrow when he realized just how much of a scofflaw he really was, and then he shrugged dismissively –because who gave an actual shit anyways- and pushed his wand back into the cloak pocket.

He turned around to the cage again and smiled when he found that Mister Owl had made his way into the cage and was waiting for him to close the gate. Edward couldn't deny liking how smart the animals of that world were, it was really awesome. He walked over to the table and grabbed the box of owl treats that Mustang had purchased the day after they'd gotten the bird, and he gave Mister Owl a few through the gate before he closed it.

At the time when he'd purchased it, Ed had stared at the older man like he was crazy, but not because he'd bought the owl snacks, it had been because the older man had _thought_ to do so in the first place. Mustang had surprised him…and Ed didn't like it. The colonel being a nice guy seriously clashed with Ed's preference to consider him an asshole, it felt as if the natural balance of things was disturbed when Mustang was _nice_.

As the owl ate its snacks, Edward carried the cage over and set it down beside his smaller case, and he paused there, feeling a distinct thrill and simultaneous discomfort as he regarded the shrunken trunk, reminded again of just what a slap in the face of all things in physical law and science it was that he'd been able to reduce the size and contents of fixed objects. His disbelief and discomfort were becoming less and less though the more time he spent in the magic world, it was honestly getting easier to get over it. After all, the entire scenario of being in another world was surreal enough as it was, and also, he was using the magic harmlessly and he wouldn't allow it to make him lazy by doing things the wizard's way too often, he'd stay on top of his game.

Alchemy hadn't made him lazy and neither would magic. He refused to become complacent that way.

On another note, he needed to use magic-magic as often as possible so that he could gain more control over it, since it would produce the best and most efficient results for concealing that he was an alchemist when he got to Hogwarts. It was a pity that he couldn't use alchemy though, because in most ways magic-magic was not nearly as quick or precise in its execution. For instance, in one of the books he'd read, it'd said that bones could be _regrown_ in the magic world –which had made him angry to think about-, but it had also said that it would take **hours** or more to grow it back with magic-magic, whereas, he could reconstruct an entire human skeleton within a minute.

All he'd need was the right ingredients or the power of a Philosopher's Stone, to do so…and now he had access to all that and more.

His pulse quickened a fair bit just thinking about it, just knowing he had free access to such extreme power, mostly because Edward wasn't used to it and he _liked_ the feeling. He'd been used to laws governing his abilities, and equivalent exchange having to be a part of everything he ever did, every decision he ever made.

But not anymore, because in the magic world…in **didn't** matter.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Ed ran a hand over his neat ponytail, which he'd opted for instead of a braid, because the cloak he'd purchased had a large hood and was baggier and a looser fit than he was used to, and while he didn't mind it, he just didn't want his braid bunching up at his neck the whole time. He'd always chosen to braid his hair usually in order to keep it out of the way in case he got into fights –which he almost always did-, but he didn't think he'd be getting into any fights while attending _school_ , so he settled on a ponytail.

Stepping over to the mirror in the room, Ed adjusted the black cloak on his shoulders, underneath which he wore his alchemy cleaned jacket, tank shirt and leather pants. He turned around to look at the back of the cloak, smirking at his trademark Flamel symbol, which he'd alchemized into the fabric by bleaching it. He knew Mustang would be irritated with him for it and he was looking forward to giving the older man a headache.

Especially since when he'd wanted to buy a red cloak, Mustang had given him that 'don't even think about it, Fullmetal' look. He'd flipped Mustang the bird at the time, but ultimately he'd complied, because Mustang had looked pretty serious at the time. Now though, the colonel wasn't there to make his 'I'm your C.O so listen to me' face at Ed. And while red was a badass color, Ed acknowledged it would probably have been too flashy for such a dreary place, but he certainly thought the white Flamel on a black coat was a good middle ground, so he expected Mustang to just fucking deal with it.

Grinning like the time he'd eaten the last donut back at HQ before the colonel had gotten to it, Edward gave the room one last look over to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything and then he grabbed his case and the owl cage and headed out.

* * *

Muggle London's evening sky was gray with clouds and dreary –just like Diagon Alley. But it was far _**busier**_ _._

Edward had asked Tom if he knew directions to King's Cross Station, since his acceptance letter had stated that via train from there, was how he was expected to arrive at Hogwarts. He'd honestly thought it'd be a waste of time, since the man had stated a few days earlier that he knew nothing about London, but then he'd given Ed directions quite easily and while it made no sense, Ed wasn't complaining. He didn't want to get lost, so he was grateful.

Presently, after a surprisingly quick walk, Ed had the train station in his sights. He'd walked as briskly and undistractedly as possible, but it had been difficult not to look around at the impressive city as he'd made his way further into it. London had distant high buildings of different architectural structure, hundreds of strange, large, small and fast vehicles, and it was so incredibly noisy with the throngs of people _everywhere_ on top of all of the sounds of the city itself. Still, there were lights glowing and shining and blinking everywhere, and the city felt alive in a way Ed had never experienced before…it was really beautiful.

He'd naively thought that first time that it reminded him of Central City, but not anymore, it was so incredibly different and so much more advanced, just so much more _everything_ actually.

As he approached the train station, Ed passed a sidewalk vendor selling evening newspapers and the man was talking to someone purchasing a paper from him rather loudly, saying something about a bridge that had apparently collapsed recently after some kind of unidentified terrorist attack. It sounded suspicious enough that it made Ed think of the newspaper he'd read at the Leaky Cauldron, the Daily Prophet, and what it had said about wizards, witches and _muggles_ all being unsafe because of the Death Eaters. That meant that the violence happening in the magic world was probably bleeding into the muggle world, and Ed just felt again that it was really unfair that muggles had no means of protecting themselves against magic-users.

After a few minutes more of walking Edward finally entered the massive train station and he tried not to gape at the elaborate design of it as he made his way through until he found the boarding platforms. When he reached Platforms 9 and 10, he stopped walking and blinked from one platform number to the next. Grumbling quietly about nonsensical train platforms, Ed glanced around at the few people waiting for trains as he placed his case and the cage on the ground at his feet.

His ticket stated that the train would arrive at eight PM, and the clock outside the station had stated that it had been almost seven-thirty when he'd arrived, and checking his watch presently, he saw that it was twenty minutes to eight, so he only had a limited amount of time to figure out the weird platform number so that he could board his train on time. Ed glanced around again, grateful that the station was mostly empty...and platforms 9 - 10 was completely empty, because he really didn't need to draw any attention to himself while looking for a platform that was invisible or something.

Edward glared at the platforms then, and trying to work out what the deal with it was, he considered what the _magic trick_ of Platform 9 ¾ might be. Because the platform had to be there, and it was probably just hidden somehow so that muggles wouldn't find it. Ed slowly paced between the two platforms for a minute, wondering if the trick had anything to do with using a wand, but then, that wouldn't make sense since muggles were oblivious to magic and whipping out a wand to do magic in public would be going against the magic laws, so that was a no go. And he couldn't use alchemy, because muggles would probably freak out over that too, so that meant it had to be something _simple_ , something hidden in plain sight.

Ed clenched his gloved fists and sighed, getting frustrated because he didn't have the time to figure out some stupid magic puzzle. He stopped at the one end of the connected arching pillars and was about to lean his hand against it, and it was really lucky that Ed had such excellent reflexes, because if he hadn't then when he placed his hand on the wall and it just passed through, he would have fallen over.

But he quickly righted himself and looked from the wall to his open hand, studying the latter to make sure it was in one piece as he took a step back. The last encounter he'd had with a wall that he'd disappeared into had thrown his life outta-whack, so he was more than a little wary. He did note though, that the platform wall hadn't tried to suck him in, he'd been able to pull his hand out of it as if there'd been nothing there at all, no wall or liquid or gate, just…nothing…so was it just an illusion of a wall?

Edward glanced around the train station with a skeptical frown, wondering if anyone would have seen if he'd just vanished into the wall…and then he remembered that he had very little time to catch his train and decided he'd rack his brain about it later. Right then, he had to steel his paranoid nerves and throw caution to the wind.

A classic Edward Elric move, Mustang would probably say.

And Al would lecture him about being reckless and stupid.

All the same, he grabbed his case and his owl in its cage and with a 'here goes nothing' attitude he approached the brick wall and experimentally touched the toe of his combat boot to the wall first, and when it passed through without resistance or fanfare, Edward took a deep breath, glanced around to make sure no one was watching and then he stepped fully into the wall…

…and came out on the other side on the one and fucking only platform 9 ¾.

He let out a scoff of shocked amazement as he looked around the train platform that more closely resembled the station in Central, and luckily there was no one there along the dull brick and dark metal platform to look at him like he was crazy. The station held the same atmosphere as Diagon Alley, miserable and unpleasant and the weather was colder. But at least the train was already there, idle and looking so much like Amestris' trains Ed actually felt relieved at the sight of the silent and sturdy piece of machinery.

Blinking his eyes a few times against the white-gray dully lit area, Edward made his way toward the train, and as he passed the windows on his way to the boarding door, he saw that only a few people were sitting inside the train but that it was otherwise mostly empty, which was just the way he liked it.

After all, he knew from experience that an empty nighttime train ride was the best for sleeping on.

* * *

Roy truly hoped that seeing Edward Elric, standing out in a sharp contrast of worried golden eyes, blonde hair and lightly tanned skin against the awful, dingy and dully lit background of the Leaky Cauldron, would not be last time he did so.

But he only had a split second to think about it…before the deafening, disorienting and suffocating Floo trip begun…and then was over very shortly, and his feet were on solid ground again, even as his brain was still bouncing around in his skull and his stomach was trying to climb into his throat. And wow, he really _hated_ the Floo, he decided that for a second time, his chest hurting as he inhaled a too large gulp of air that he needed after abruptly having held his breath.

It had only lasted a few seconds in actuality, but it felt like it'd been so much longer than that.

With a shake of his head, Roy pulled his mental faculties together and then he patted down his pitch black hair, neatening it from its undoubtedly windswept state. And after taking a quiet and much steadier breath, he leaned out of the –thankfully- clean fireplace he'd arrived in and looked around the room he was in. His eyes trailed up and around the large room with very high windows and an even higher arching stone ceiling, from which hung candle lit chandeliers not unlike the one in the Leaky Cauldron. Roy then lowered his gaze, looking over the walls that were constructed of large sandstone bricks and half pillars before his gaze fell on the three even rows of desks lining the length of the room and he raised his eyebrows.

"Ah…a classroom." he mumbled to himself.

"Indeed." an accented, tense and clipped voice stated out of nowhere and it made Roy start before he stepped a little further out of the fireplace and looked around the room again.

Walking out from behind a large desk at the front of the classroom was an elderly and stern looking woman wearing long draping robes and one of the high pointed hats that Edward had laughed at back in Diagon Alley. And she was making her way over to him, approaching quickly with her hands clasped in front of herself and her chin titled up slightly.

"Professor Mustang, I assume." she stated more than asked and he'd barely nodded when she smiled ever so slightly and gestured for him to follow her, "We've been awaiting your arrival, please follow me." she said and she was already walking away. Roy glanced back into the fireplace and quickly grabbed his valise before he walked away from the fireplace to follow her hasty stride. And as he followed her into the nearest aisle between the desks toward the exit of the classroom, he was unable to stop himself from thinking that the people of that world really needed to loosen up.

"We were concerned that we wouldn't find a replacement on such short notice." she started speaking again as they exited the classroom and walked out into a large stone and brick hallway, "Professor Horace Slughorn was unable to fill the position but he only informed us of it at the very last minute." she glanced at him as he fell into step beside her, her boots clacking with an echo in the hall while his boots made no sound.

Her accent was odd, it was nothing like he'd ever heard before, but he could understand her just fine because she articulated really well. And while feigning casual attentiveness and glancing around mildly at the large windows lining the hall on one side, he was actually mentally filing away what she was telling him, taking specific note of the name of the Professor she'd mentioned he was replacing, just in case he needed to recall it at a later stage.

"Your application said that you were previously a potions master at a small private institute, Professor Mustang?" she enquired in a tone that Roy read as being conversational, not suspicious, so he looked at her, smiling handsomely and in his most disarming way,

"Call me Roy, please, miss…?" he enquired after her name and he put his hand out to shake hers as they walked. Her eyebrows rose slightly and she seemed surprised that he was asking her name, but she took his hand for a brief second before she smiled again, politely,

"Minerva McGonagall."

Recognition sparked, and really he should have guessed, but he played it off as casually as possible,

"I suspected so, but it's always polite to ask a lady's name instead of just assuming." he kept smiling in the way that Edward described as 'creepy' but was really his most charming smile, and when she nodded slightly at his explanation, he continued on with her line of conversation, "Yes, it was more private tutelage for select students than it was an institute. I had a specific number of students and I oversaw the potions part of their education." he said it as if it were completely true, sounding smooth and comfortable, even though he didn't entirely feel it.

He couldn't help thinking of his small group of loyal subordinates and some of the undercover stuff they'd pulled off over the years. And the thought helped him smile more genuinely as he got into the character of Professor Mustang, telling his lies with as much honesty as they could plausibly carry, and being Roy Mustang, he was aware that he was a damn good liar. He just hoped she didn't start asking questions about the names of his students because the magic community didn't seem all that large and Roy suspected it was a case of too many people knowing too many other people. And with magic folk having last names like McGonagall, Dumbledore, Malfoy, Malkin and Ollivander, he doubted he could come up with any convincing made-up names.

But to his surprise, her line of questioning took a different turn and her tone was distinctly curious when she asked,

"Are you American, Roy?" she glanced at him again, her clacking heels disturbing the silence as they walked around a corner into a different hall.

He blinked, eyebrows rising slightly when he glanced at her,

"Oh, yes, I am." he lied as they walked up to a set of stairs and ascended.

And seriously, he just _lied_ , not calculatingly or premeditatedly, nope, just goddam lied. Because he and Edward had decided they would say they were from somewhere on the continent of Europe, but if he recalled correctly, America was decidedly **not** a part of Europe. He and Ed had skimmed the information on the muggle world together, but they'd only really had the world map for reference on the subject of continents and countries, and since most of the information in the book shop had been about Europe and Britain, their choices had been limited.

So Roy had decided to claim that he was from France and Edward would say he was from Germany, because on the map provided in the book, neither country had been the farthest from where the United Kingdom was, but they were two of the larger countries in Europe, which meant they were probably very populated and would have a lot of magic and muggle people living there, so it made sense to think that he and Ed could pull off being relatively unknown wizards from those countries.

Of course, they didn't know much about that world when it came to the vastness of its races, cultures and languages and Edward had mentioned that there were several continents and numerous countries, so for Minerva, who knew the world far better than he did, to assume that he was from somewhere after only speaking to him for five minutes, there had to be a good reason and Roy didn't think it would be wise to go against that.

"I thought so," she glanced at him as they quickly rounded a corner after ascending a fourth set of stairs, walking through another empty hall, "your accent is quite distinct." she explained.

Roy just nodded and smiled and panicked inwardly, because he and Edward had the same accent and if the teen claimed that he was from Germany, as originally planned, it might bring up questions he couldn't answer. Roy was just trying to think of a way he could let Ed know about that little hitch in their plan when Minerva stopped walking and they stood before a large gargoyle, actually, to be more precise, it was some kind of bird statue.

"The headmaster is waiting to see you in his office. When you're done you can come and find me in my classroom and I'll show you to your office and living quarters. Tomorrow one of the other teachers, or perhaps myself if I have time, will show you around the school before the students arrive tomorrow evening." she looked at him expectantly from beneath the brim of her hat and Roy just nodded with a half-smile in response. Minerva gave him an uncertain look, before she nodded as well and then turned to the gargoyle, "Toffee Éclair." she announced.

Roy's gaze snapped from her to the stone statue when it began to move somewhat loudly, stone grating stone as it turned around and around and started to ascend slowly, gradually revealing a spiral stone staircase as it turned. When Minerva stepped back and gestured for him to enter the brightly lit staircase, he did so without hesitation, trying not to seem unsettled by the moving statue-staircase thing that would lead him up to an unknown location.

He stepped onto one of the moving steps just before he would have had to duck his head under the arch of the statue and then he watched as the entrance and the bottom of Minerva's robes disappeared as he ascended. In that moment that he was alone, Roy took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. His palms felt a bit sweaty inside his gloves and he was starting to worry that his and Ed's lies were not sufficient, after all, they'd had very little to work with and very little time to do so in, going into it.

He briefly wondered how Edward was managing, just before he realized he was coming up to an opening in the vertical staircase tunnel, most likely the entrance to the headmaster's office. Roy quickly checked over his black robe and ran a hand through his hair again, schooling his features into calm and charm, and when the staircase came to a stop he was in full character mode as he stepped out onto the level ground.

He was standing in a foyer of sorts and there was a set of open doors through which Roy could see a large double story office that was cluttered from the floor to the high arching ceiling with furniture, paintings, lined with bookshelves and cupboards and the office actually seemed to glimmer in shades of gold from the firelights and various ornaments and trinkets decorated and displayed everywhere.

Remembering not to make a face at the garish décor, Roy walked further in through the doors and slowly across the wooden floor of the office, to where he climbed the short set of steps between two pillars of a smaller arch, walking up onto a round platform on which a desk and chair were sitting under the light of a large overhead chandelier.

Beyond that was another large arch doorway that led somewhere, and leading upstairs there were two sets of stairs to either side of the platform. Roy continued to look around, not going beyond the point of the desk but taking in what he could of the office as he stood there seemingly alone. He was particularly interested in the hundreds of books on the shelves, but he was too far away from them to actually see any titles, however, the magnitude of books in just that office alone gave him hope for what the library in the school might be like.

' _Edward will love it.'_ he smirked slightly, feeling less hopeless and worried than he had a short while ago, because the more books there were, the more chances they'd have of figuring out that array.

Roy was just idly straightening one side of his black robe when he glanced around again and his eyes settled on a man who'd just appeared at the top of one set of stairs. An old man, an old man with a very long, very white beard and equally white long hair…so rather, a **really** old man.

If the man smiled, Roy could hardly tell, so he decided to smile anyway as the man continued down the stairs with his lavender coloured robes trailing behind him. Roy set his valise down beside his legs as the old man reached the bottom of the stairs and approached him,

"Ah, hello Professor Roy Mustang." the old man said in a gravelly but very pleasant tone of voice, and it didn't sound like a question so he didn't confirm or deny it. Roy knew the headmaster was supposed to be Albus Dumbledore, so he greeted back with equal familiarity,

"Good evening, Headmaster Dumbledore." he nodded and when the older –so much older- man had stopped a few feet away, Roy extended a hand to the slightly taller man, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Confidence was the key to pulling off any lie, so as he did so well, Roy made sure to appear completely sure of himself.

Dumbledore glanced at Roy's hand, and he was holding his right hand behind his back when he extended his left hand with no readable reason as to why. It made Roy think of Edward for a moment, knowing that the younger blonde had often used his left hand to shake because he'd wanted to conceal his right automail arm. With that in mind, Roy suspected it was possible the headmaster was hiding something too, but it was too soon to be drawing conclusions, so he simply swapped his hands without faltering and took the older man's offered left hand and they shook once firmly. He could now see that the man was smiling, bright blue eyes regarding him kindly and Albus appeared to be amused about something, although Roy had no idea what, so he just made mental notes about the strange exchange and his surroundings so that he could review it later.

"And you as well." Dumbledore responded as their hands separated and then he placed his left hand behind his back to join his right, "I'm very relieved and grateful to have a professor to fill the position. I had honestly expected that I might have had to teach the classes myself this year due to the short notice of the position opening up." he said in a tone that somehow doubled as a laugh and a statement.

Roy nodded neutrally,

"Minerva McGonagall mentioned that the intended professor declined the position at the last minute." he kept his tone conversationally curious without actually asking about it outright.

Dumbledore nodded, his eyebrows rising briefly,

"Yes, yes, it was unexpected, seeing as he had said 'yes' just a few days ago, but…" he shrugged facially, "…I suppose he changed his mind," the old man gave Roy a surprisingly casual 'you know how it is' look, "as we are all entitled to do in the end. However, it is a disappointment, Horace was a previous potions master here at Hogwarts for several years, and it would have been greatly beneficial to have him back."

The word _beneficial_ implied something rather specific, and whether or not it had been an intentional slip on the headmasters part, having been versed in how to read people by their words and physical actions for years, Roy just knew there was a reason the man had used that word and not something more generic and general, like the words good, or nice.

Completely outwardly neutral, to that statement Roy just nodded with a small amiable smile, and then there was a beat of silence between them and he tried to prepare himself for questions as the older man regarded him, because surely the man had wanted to see him upon arrival to verify his application and learn more about him, like most job interviews or acceptances would do. But after little more than another strange but amused look, Dumbledore just nodded politely,

"I'm sure you're tired and wish to familiarize yourself with your classroom and lodgings at this time," Roy blinked, and only felt slightly relieved, because at least he wouldn't have to go through the questioning _just yet._ He really needed time to get his thoughts in order, "I do hope you're looking forward to the year ahead Professor Mustang, welcome to Hogwarts." Dumbledore extended his hand that time, the left one again.

Roy shook it,

"I'm certain I will, and thank you for having me." he responded.

He picked up his suitcase then and offered a final professional smile before he took his leave from the office.

* * *

Finding McGonagall's classroom again wasn't too difficult, it had been a brisk walk from her first floor classroom to Dumbledore's tower office, but Roy had counted the flights of stairs they'd taken and the number of corners they'd turned well enough to navigate his way back. So in more or less five minutes he was back at her classroom, where he knocked on the open door just to be polite and to gain her attention.

From there she joined him again and it was mostly silent as they walked in a different direction, Minerva only speaking to let him know that his classroom was in the dungeons and while Roy didn't ask why –and seriously, dungeons?-, he definitely wondered so. It turned out though, that it was a legitimate and fairly large –albeit creepy- classroom, with medium sized but mostly useless windows, and everything was already set up; desks, basins, potions bottles, books, cupboards and even an atmosphere of gloom to complete the picture.

Overall, it was awful, and also much chillier down there than it had been on the first floor, and Roy cursed his luck at getting the worst possible work space in the school. Back in Amestris he'd always been fortunate to land the nice offices, but in the magic world it seemed he'd have to settle for a _dungeon_.

After showing him the classroom, McGonagall led him back upstairs…and up more stairs, all the way to the sixth floor, and down a long windowed but shadowy corridor that led to a dead end with a large wooden door,

"This will be your office and lodgings," she said as they reached the door, "it was originally prepared for Professor Slughorn at his request, but now it'll be yours to use during your time at Hogwarts." she informed him as they walked inside.

Roy had to admit, it was a big step up from the classroom in the dungeons. The office was spacious and well lit, with couches, tables, other furniture pieces, decorations and a large fireplace and such,

"Through there," she pointed to a door across and to the back of the office room, "you'll find your sleeping quarters." she added on a note that hinted she'd told him all she'd needed to and she brought her hands together in front of her as she remained standing at the exit door while he walked a little farther in.

After taking a quick look around the main office, Roy returned to where she stood at the door,

"Thank you very much Professor McGonagall, I look forward to working with you." he smiled affably at her, since his charm seemed to hold no effect over the somewhat stoic woman. His neutrality wielded results though, since she smiled a bit more honestly at him that time, but still gave off the 'your smiles won't work on me' vibe as she nodded,

"You may call me Minerva. Good evening, Roy." she said evenly, and then she walked out of the door and pulled it closed behind her.

Roy raised an eyebrow after her departure and then he smiled, amused and impressed by how easily she'd brushed off his attempts to make her _too_ comfortable around him. His smiles usually won trust over with women very easily, but then, it hadn't ever worked on a _select_ fewwomen, namely Riza Hawkeye and Olivia Armstrong, so it wasn't guaranteed in the end.

"Maybe it's a blonde thing." he mumbled to himself, although he hadn't seen Minerva's hair color, but he seriously doubted she was blonde, so his theory was far from sound.

Roy was finally able to relax a bit then, being that he was now alone and in what would be his personal living space for however long he was there at Hogwarts.

As he walked around the large room and looked around more closely, Roy thought of Edward and the fact that he was blonde, and also annoyingly immune to his nicer, beguiling side. He'd discovered that on the few occasions where he'd attempted to placate Ed with cordial words and charming smiles.

Roy grimaced when he recalled Ed asking him once whether there was something wrong with his face when he'd smiled kindly at the teen,

"It has to be a blonde thing." he decided with a shake of his head.

And then with a sigh, Roy began to get familiar with his immediate surroundings before the next day arrived and he'd have to continue his charade.

* * *

Adjusting to using a wand had been quite a fantastic pain in the ass, because the damn thing had been really volatile with him for the first half hour that he'd attempted to command magic with it, making half starts of energy and becoming too hot in his hand, making Roy physically uncomfortable while he held it. The situation had been really frustrating, and if it hadn't been for the –disturbing- fact that the wand had pervaded some kind of _awareness_ of him, Roy would have assumed it was just broken somehow. But in the end, knowing how weird the magic world was, Roy had persevered and once the wand had worked out whatever bizarre problem it had with him –because Roy was certain it had actually thrown some kind of temper tantrum-, thereafter, things had gone quite smoothly, and after casting a few spells, Roy decided that using magic was actually fairly simple.

It seemed that so long as a person had a connection to magical energy, or in his case, the elemental energy of alchemy, in their physical being, they could essentially use magic. Magic didn't require a deep knowledge or understanding of anything, unlike alchemy did, in fact it seemed that just as long as you'd learned by reading what a spell and its instructive word was supposed to do, then you could do it. That seemed to be the overall gist of it.

For instance, he'd learned -while practicing in his new office the night he'd arrived-, that while levitating an object should be physically impossible, and furthermore, being able to summon an object to you by saying ' _Accio_ ' before announcing the object's name, should be even more unfathomable, it did actually work. And just to test the latter, he'd used the spell to summon his State Alchemist watch to him from across the room.

He'd only read a few spells out of the 'First Year, Standard Book Of Spells' so far, since he had to primarily focus on Potions, but he'd decided it would be better not to be completely clueless about charms and spells because as a 'wizard' he would be expected to know that stuff. And so far, the spells had worked rather well for him, he'd been able to light up the tip of his wand by saying ' _Lumos_ ' and then he'd turned it off by saying ' _Nox'_. He'd been able to lock his office door by saying ' _Colloportus_ ' and lastly, and with some disdain, he'd tried the spell ' _Incendio_ ' to light the fire place, as a curious test, and when a jet of fire, not particularly well contained or controlled fire mind you, shot out of the wand, Roy had decided that he quite disliked magic.

It was too easy, too _unfair_. And he couldn't help but wonder how Edward was feeling about using magic, since it went against all the laws of alchemy and physics while holding no consequences for it, especially since Ed had faced such a terrible punishment as a boy when he'd broken the laws of alchemy. It made Roy sick to think about and also worried him, because he knew Ed was using the magic energy as a substitute for his lost alchemy and surely that would bear some psychological repercussions?

Roy figured it had to be awful for the teen to have to use something that mocked the science they'd believed was absolute for such a long time. And the magic energy, to make it worse, seemed to linger in Ed's body when he used it, almost clinging to the teen. Roy had seen it at the Ministry of Magic that day when they'd first arrived, he'd witnessed that Ed hadn't needed to clap his hands again in order to apply the energy to a transmutation a second time.

Roy sighed very quietly, mentally telling himself not to worry too much about Ed, he was no child after all, and he could certainly take care of himself.

Presently, on the morning of the 1st, he was walking alongside Rolanda Hooch –who happened to have birdlike yellow eyes-, and was the only professor available who hadn't had anything to do that morning, and so had been tasked with introducing him to the remainder of the staff he'd yet to meet, the last of which they were currently on their way to see.

Rolanda herself was a broom flying instructor –because apparently that was actually a real thing- and after Roy had met her that morning –she'd been waiting for him outside his office- she'd informed him of her intentions and from there he'd been walked around the school and introduced to the outstanding staff one by one, most of which had been in their classes preparing for the start of the school year, and he'd learned what subjects each of them taught and their respective skills in their fields, just as he had with the other staff members the day after he'd arrived.

He was already somewhat familiar with the school layout, since Minerva had been the one to introduce him around while giving him a tour of the grounds, and simply put, Hogwarts was, in complete honesty, **massive**. Also, it was a **castle**...so there was that. Roy had been, and still was, amazed at the sheer size of it, especially considering that the school seemed to be far too large to host such a limited amount of students. There wasn't very many more than a few hundred students in the entire school, maybe 300 and some odd if his quick scan of his class schedules and expected students correctly enabled him to estimate.

It was an awfully large school for such a small amount of students and what was more, it suggested that magic people, despite how highly the books suggested they held themselves above muggles, were scarce at best.

A powerful minority, quite like the homunculi, except not all wizards and witches were evil and also, they weren't _nearly_ as dangerous as homunculi. Not even close really.

He was aware enough of his surroundings after his tour with Minerva, to recognize the staircase they were on as he walked swiftly with Rolanda up to the third floor. It was almost noon by that time and Roy's schedule for the remainder of the day would only consist of class planning and then more Potions reading. And he was looking forward to the time he'd spend by himself in his office. He'd already started the day before with drawing up a teaching plan for the classes after Minerva had provided him with his class schedule, so he didn't have too much left to do of that. It was his reading he needed to focus on and he just hoped that last meeting wouldn't take too long.

He glanced at Rolanda when they entered a corridor and she gestured up ahead in the direction they needed to go. She was about a head shorter than Roy and was striding beside him with double steps to keep up, much like Edward had used to when he'd been that short.

Ah, yes, Edward had indeed grown, hadn't he?

Quite a bit actually, and he was –as Edward had sternly informed him with a threatening glare one of the early days just after the Promised Day- still growing, and apparently would be doing so much more rapidly now that he no longer had automail on his arm and Alphonse's body was no longer in the Gate.

Roy hadn't understood at first what Alphonse and the automail had to do with Ed's growth. But then Ed had explained his theory to him, in-between some choice swear words- just exactly how his automail, the Gate and Alphonse had been affecting him over the years. And while it actually made sense -in light of the far crazier shit Roy had seen all too recently - it had taken the fun right out of teasing Edward about his height.

He managed to contain a smirk at the thought of Edward's new pride in the fact that he was _growing_ steadily, but really, it was fitting that Ed got to preen about it. Roy felt that the teen deserved some slack after so many years of hardship and walking around with a seven foot suit of armor that had only made him seem even shorter than he'd already been.

With his thoughts still on Edward, he wondered how the teen would deal with every absurd thing that Hogwarts was made up of. He'd had a lot to take in himself over the last two days. It had been crazy for Roy, firstly he'd been shown briefly to the Great Hall on his tour and in the few minutes he'd spent there, listening to Minerva inform him about the schedules of the mess hall –because that's really what it was-, he'd been introduced to an exceptionally large man, who was apparently a literal half-giant, and he'd also witnessed food which just appeared completely out of nowhere, and then had disappeared the same way.

A while after that, he'd seen _ghosts_ floating around the corridors, talking to one another and greeting himself and Minerva politely, as if it were the norm. And it was in fact _normal_ , because Minerva had behaved as though it was, so what else was he supposed to assume? His skin had been crawling the entire time after he'd seen that and he'd been relieved that he hadn't seen any ghosts again since. Dead people floating around was just **wrong**.

But there had been various other disturbing things that had followed, such as paintings that were not just moving, but also fully conversational and entirely interactive, with _real_ people in them that had minds and wills of their own. On top of that there were moving staircases and a dark forest inhabited by _Centaurs_ and _Werewolves_ surrounding one half of the school grounds, and those were just ' _some of the beings that lived in the forest_ ', Minerva had said _casually_.

"We are currently in the Serpentine Corridor and this, here…" Rolanda spoke, drawing him from his thoughts as she pointed at two dark wooden doors that they were approaching, "…is the 'Defense Against The Dark Arts' classroom," and when they came to a stop outside the doors, she knocked a few times loudly as she continued, "here is where the last professor you will meet in our staff is likely to be, should you ever need to find him." she explained in a clipped but friendly tone, before she checked her pocket watch.

Roy just nodded. Rolanda had been good company but he was wary of engaging her in conversation, since for almost an hour after she'd shown him the Quidditch pitch, which was a sports field that stood framed by high bleachers and billowing house flags and had looked quite uninviting set against a gloomy gray sky backdrop, she hadn't been able to stop talking about the strange flying sport in far too much –boring- detail. So really, he was grateful his time with her was coming to an end, as they'd finally arrived to meet the last professor, who'd apparently been 'too busy' to meet him in the last two days.

They waited about a minute before one wooden door was pulled open halfway with unnecessary force, making the door knocker thud against the wood a few times. In the doorway stood a tall man draped completely in flowing black robes from neck to toe. He had neck length, wavy black hair and a particularly unpleasant countenance, and Roy raised an eyebrow when the taller man looked down at him with an upturned nose and gave him a slow once over. The unnamed professor then trailed his eyes to Rolanda and his upper lip twitched once before he spoke,

"Rolanda." he greeted in a flat but clear voice, the name spoken much slower than necessary.

Roy just blinked at him, indifferent.

"Severus, apologies for interrupting," she didn't sound even remotely apologetic, "I'm told you're currently conducting O.W.L's with a new student before he can be enrolled to his sixth year, how's that going?" she made a futile attempt to glance past Severus into the classroom, but he was too tall and she was too short.

Roy's attention was immediately seized at her words, and he didn't need to try and see into the classroom because he _knew_ who the student was.

Roy felt relief flood over him, a tension he hadn't realized he was feeling leaving him now that he knew Edward was safe and in the same vicinity as he was. The plan was going well.

Severus slid his eyes to Roy for a moment and then looked back to Rolanda,

"Actually, it's going rather…quickly." he spoke slowly, articulating his words purposely more than necessary.

Rolanda placed her hands on her hips, her long, wide, black robe sleeves swaying,

"Bad quickly or good quickly?" she sounded genuinely curious.

Severus stared at her for a moment and then blinked placidly,

"I'm not…sure yet, I haven't completed grading his first…tests." he slid his dark eyes to Roy again, "Who…is this?" he asked with his upper lip slightly curled as he folded his arms across his chest with overtly wide movements.

Rolanda looked at Roy as if she'd forgotten about him,

"Oh, right, this is the new professor taking your old Potions position, Roy Mustang." she gestured at Roy with a half-smile, "Roy, this is Severus Snape." she added.

Ah yes, yet another weird name to add to the endless list.

"Pleasure to meet you." Roy said in his best neutral voice as he extended a hand to shake.

Severus blinked sedately, lowering his gaze to Roy's hand and then slowly he untucked his right hand and extended it so they could shake briefly,

"Quite." he said flatly, over pronouncing the 'T'.

Roy just stared at him, expressionless.

"Hey, Professor Snape!" Edward's voice was distinctive and it seemed to echo in the large DADA classroom.

Roy watched as Severus' lip twitched upward in a grimace and then he slowly turned his head to look at the teen, "I'm done, hurry up so I can get this over with already." Ed said like only Ed could, rude and nonchalant about it. Roy was glad neither of the other two teachers were looking at him right then, because he smirked, thinking; typical Edward, making demands of his superiors.

When Snape turned bodily to the side, Roy and Rolanda were able to see into the classroom, and there, all the way at the front of the class in a desk on the left, was Edward, with his long hair tied up in a ponytail and wearing a black cloak with a white Flamel obnoxiously emblazoned on the back of it –the damn flashy brat-, holding up and waving a test paper in the air lazily.

When Ed spotted him his golden eyes widened slightly, and when Severus looked away back to Roy and Rolanda, Edward grinned and gave Roy a discreet wink and thumbs up. He had to fight the urge not to grin right back, honestly, Ed's rebellious streak was infectious sometimes.

"That's the tenth…test." Severus said to Rolanda as Roy smoothly refocused on the tall man, who sounded very annoyed. Rolanda looked genuinely surprised at what he'd said,

"It's only just noon, and he's completed ten of the written O.W.L's already?" she blinked and raised her eyebrows, "In under four hours? How many are there?"

"Ten." Snape said with a twitching upper lip, "However, he still has to complete his practicals." he huffed very quietly and raised one eyebrow, "To be frank, I believe this is…a waste of time, homeschooling is in-sufficient for anyone to become a…successful…wizard."

"Oh, **please**." Edward drawled from inside the classroom and Roy noticed how Rolanda tried not to smile, Roy did so as well and Severus turned around and snapped,

"Be quiet, Elric!"

Roy saw Edward roll his eyes and Severus glanced back at the two shorter teachers, then he looked at Roy specifically,

"Good…luck." he said flatly, sounding completely insincere before he turned back into the class and slammed the door in their faces.

Rolanda looked at Roy,

"Well, that's all there is."

Roy smiled, feeling quite alright, all things considered,

"Excellent."

* * *

Next Chapter: Ed arrives at Hogwarts and Severus has an encounter of the Elric kind!


	5. Quīnque

**\- For extra image content please view the chapter on AO3**

 **\- This is not beta-read, apologies for any mistakes**

* * *

 **Stapled shut, inside an outside world**

* * *

The six hour long train ride was smooth and without incident. Edward had passed the time quickly, having read through two of his personal reading books _and_ he'd even snuck in a half hours nap.

By the time he reached the train station where he had to get off, it was really late, or early depending on how you looked at it, and it was much colder there –wherever there was- than it had been in London. The station itself was completely empty and Edward was also the only person who deboarded, but actually, he suspected he might have been the only person left on the train at all.

The wind whipped up as he stepped out of the loading door onto the outdoor platform and his cloak caught tightly against him and clung to his leather clad legs, his ponytail swatting across his face annoyingly as well. Edward couldn't remember the last time Amestris had had such shitty weather, even Drachma, while having been cold and windy, hadn't been so depressing. Ed sighed softly as Mister Owl fluffed up in his cage against the cold wind and he glanced up at the gloomy night sky, realizing he should have covered the cage with a blanket or something. He was just about to apologize to the poor owl when someone spoke,

"Hullo, are yee' the new student wih' the sixth years?"

Edward turned around to face the person who'd asked the question, and approaching him from the direction of the front of the train, was a large man. He was bigger than Major Armstrong and Sig were, but he wasn't anywhere near as hulking and huge as Sloth had been, so he was kind of in-between, with a heavy set body and a head and face so full of hair that Ed could only just about see his eyes and notice that he was smiling.

The teen nodded at him and managed a small smile in greeting,

"Uh, yeah, Edward Elric." he introduced himself.

The large man nodded, drawing out one of his large hands from his coat pocket and focussing his friendly gaze down on Ed as he offered to take Ed's case with a gesture,

"I'm Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid, a professor ere' at Hogwarts." he introduced himself as Ed nodded in thanks and handed him the case, because he couldn't think of a reason not to. Hagrid then gestured with his head for Ed to follow him, "Come on, then, s' cold out ere', no use stanin' around."

Edward glanced around the empty platform a final time before following Hagrid, lifting Mister Owl's cage higher so he could place his now free hand underneath it and carry the bird more stably.

"Dumbledore sez' I waz' te' come down an' fetch yer', show ye' to the school, where one of the other professor's will be waitin' te' show ye' where yel' be sleeping for the neet', ye' know, before yer' tests tomorrow." he glanced down, nodding and smiling at Ed, who was walking faster to keep up with him.

"Uh, thanks." he said audibly over the sound of the wind as it pushed his ponytail back out of his face and whipped his bangs stingingly against his skin, "Is the school far?"

He was pretty keen to be out of the wind, and also, he was really hungry having not eaten anything since that afternoon.

Hagrid shook his head and all of his hair along with it as they started to leave the area, stepping out of where the light of the station reached and walking through a dimly lit path,

"No s'not, but just up aways, there's a carriage waitin', so ye' don' av' te' walk."

Edward was relieved to hear that, the air was very damp and cold in 'Hogsmeade' -the station sign had stated the name-, and his left leg was slightly sore from being in Diagon Alley as it was, so it was likely to get worse fast if he didn't get warm soon.

"So, are ye' excited te' be atten'in Hogwarts, best magic school in the world, et' is." Hagrid said with pride as they walked along the pebble walled path. Edward glanced up at him when he spoke, having been taking in the dark, wood like surroundings distractedly, because he had to be wary of everything.

He almost heaved a sigh at the thought, because for once things back home had been peaceful and safe, for once, after the horror that had been 'Father' and his awful homunculi spawn, after they had no longer been a problem, things had been _good_. And now Ed wasn't there to enjoy it, he wasn't there to spend time with his _flesh and blood_ brother, he wasn't there to eventually return home and see Winry and Granny, to pet Den with his flesh right hand.

He ended up sighing aloud anyway as he looked further ahead along the path,

"Yeah, I guess." he answered absently.

"Although, issa' bit of a dangerous time, so best te' follow the rules Dumbledore gives ye', an' te' stay safe in the castle." he added in quickly, patting one of his hands against his protruding midsection.

Edward didn't give an actual shit about rules, he barely had in the military and it would be no different in _school_. He could take care of himself…but what did catch his attention in Hagrid's statement was the word,

"Castle?" he raised an eyebrow.

Hagrid looked at him and nodded, before he looked up and pointed over some of the more distant tree tops.

Edward followed his direction and his eyes widened when he saw three tall castle towers with glowingly lit windows, and lower down he could see the tops of a few other stone towers and buildings. And set against the dark sky, the _castle_ seemed to glimmer almost ethereally, it honestly looked both inviting and surreal.

Edward had never seen a castle before, let alone a _magical_ one, and he was now eager to see more of it.

"Beautiful, init'?" Hagrid asked in his proud voice again, puffing out his chest slightly.

Edward just nodded and smiled slightly, deciding that some things in that strange world were certainly better than others, like that dragons existed, castles were lived in and the fact that he could use his alchemy again… _without_ equivalent exchange.

"Ere' we are, go on, get in," Hagrid said and Edward turned his attention downward again to the waiting carriage…and he grimaced when he saw the fucking ugly horse chimeras that were attached to it, "it'll take ye' straight to the school an'…oh, Edward, wus' the matter?"

Edward had stopped walking and was now frowning angrily at the large chimeras, because they looked as terrible as most did, unnatural and possibly in pain, although these seemed even worse off…their black skin was drawn so tight to their bony bodies that he couldn't imagine that they weren't in immense pain. It was so wrong…

"Can you see em'?" Hagrid asked from beside him.

Edward looked at him tetchily after tearing his eyes away from the horses with wings to look up at the large man,

"Of course I can, I'm not blind." he sounded annoyed even to himself.

Hagrid's eyes widened and he shook his head, raising a placating hand,

"No, no, I didn't mean it te' offaind' ya', ets' jus', the only time anyone can see a Thestral is when they've seen someone die, is all." he explained, gesturing to the horses, his expression somewhat sad.

"Thestrals." Edward repeated and looked at the creatures again, one of the nearest ones whinnied softly and toed the sandy ground, flaring its wings lightly.

"They're harmless, really, swear et', jus' misunderstood they ar', cause' o' how they look an' people sayin' they're a bad omen." he was shaking his head when Ed glanced at him.

Edward raised an eyebrow and gave the two animals a pitying look,

"I dunno' anything about superstitious omens or whatever, but they sure are ugly." he mumbled honestly and after Hagrid tipped his head in disheartened agreement, Edward took his case from the man and walked toward the carriage, making brief and apologetic eye contact with the closest Thestral as he passed it.

When he glanced back at Hagrid the man was smiling, apparently pleased with how he'd reacted to the animals,

"Nice meetin' ye' Edward Elric, welcome te' Hogwarts!" he said as he waved once and then put his hands into his pockets. Edward managed a half-hearted smile and then got into the carriage.

* * *

After being shown into the castle the previous night by the strict looking, stupid pointy-hat wearing Professor McGonagall, and then to the temporary room he'd sleep in for the night, before he'd either pass the tests and was enrolled, or he would leave the school again, Edward had eaten the normal enough looking meal that had awaited him in the room and then he'd lied awake in the bed, unable to sleep despite being tired. So instead, he'd passed the time mentally revising for the exam, while trying not to think about his sore automail leg.

It was even harder not to, after having restored his arm with such ease and _knowing_ he could probably get rid of his automail, painlessly and without paying a toll. In trying not to think of it though, something else had occurred to Edward, the idea that maybe he shouldn't try to get his real left leg back. It had been intended as a punishment to him by the Gate for the mistake he'd made in attempting human transmutation, but for his own reasons, Ed thought now that it could mean more than that, it could serve as a reminder to him of all the people who'd lost their lives and had suffered because of his mistake.

Like Maes Hughes.

But it was extremely difficult to ignore the distinct detail that he was in a world where there was no equivalent exchange, and that such a fact rendered his reasoning pointless.

Why not make himself whole when he could do so without anyone getting hurt? That had been the new question that plagued him throughout the night.

Presently it was morning, and Ed had just finished freshening up and was pulling on his cloak as he usually would his old red coat. It was such a familiar action that he smiled to himself as he stepped to the exit door in the small room, ready to leave and when he pulled the door open…on the other side was a tall guy, dressed in full black robes, with black hair and a really moody-ass look on his face, poised to knock.

Edward raised his eyebrow at the guy, wondering if that look was so often on his face that it was just stuck like that, because he didn't look like he was making an effort to manage it _at all-_

"Edward…El-ric." moody face drawled in a flat tone of voice, dragging his words out _annoyingly_.

"Yeah." Ed said lamely.

"You're _late_." the man stated the second word through clenched teeth.

"I am?" Edward asked indifferently and slipped his hand under his cloak and into his black slacks pocket to extract his pocket watch, which he flipped open and blinked at as he took note of the time. He was indeed late, but he kept a straight face when he said, "My watch says its 7:50, tests are at 8." he lied and closed the watch cover with a click, giving the taller man his best 'I'm being absolutely honest right now' look.

Apparently the man saw through it because he gave Ed a 'how dare you' look,

"The time…Mister El-ric, is after 8, or I assure you, **I** would…not…be… **here**." he dragged out, keeping his nose up but his gaze down, his black hair sitting in straggly shoulder length waves around his pasty face.

Having set himself up for just the right excuse, Edward shrugged with a smirk,

"Heh, I guess my watch is wrong." he stepped out of the room, making the man step back and to the side, looking over Ed with a twitching upper lip,

"If it were up to me, you wouldn't…even be…here, especially not after such a dis-play of tardiness." he said stiffly and then turned on his heel and started walking away, probably expecting Ed to follow him.

And he did, rolling his eyes as he fell into step beside the tall man,  
"I'm sure if you kicked every tardy person you came across out of this school, you'd have almost no one here…including some teachers." he joked. But really, even high ranking military personnel were sometimes late –or so Mustang had often complained-, so Ed was certain that school teachers had late days too.

"I wouldn't complain." the man said in a flat mumble. Edward snickered and the man looked at him sidelong, "Something funny, El-ric." he seemed to like emphasising the two syllables of Ed's last name.

"Eh, nothing." Edward waved a gloved hand dismissively, his other was tucked inside his cloak pocket.

The man gave him a slow and seemingly distasteful once over, but said nothing else.

Ed was actually amused by how _serious_ this guy took himself, but the truth was, being a professor – which Ed assumed he was- was reason enough for Ed to believe he was hamming it up, there was no way he loathed the kids and teachers at the school as much as he pretended to. It was some sort of front, a defensive mechanism, if Ed had to guess he'd say the guy liked to intimidate people because it kept people away from him.

And there were one of two reasons Ed could think of that'd make the man put on such an act. Either he had something to hide and preferred to keep people out of his business and general vicinity, or, he'd had to become that way because people tended to take advantage of him. As they walked Edward looked him over, wondering which it was. The man wasn't small in stature and didn't look particularly frail either –albeit sickly in complexion and on the old side- so he doubted it had to do with him being pushed around.

But then aga-…

"Go inside and sit…down." moody face cut his thoughts off as they came to stop outside a pair of dark wood doors, pushing one open and standing aside, he looked at Ed expectantly.

Edward walked into the large room, looking around at what was obviously a classroom judging by the rows of desks. There were large windows lining either side of the room as well and the ceiling arched high and elaborately.

Edward walked along the middle aisle to the front of the classroom and then he stopped and looked at the stack of papers sitting on the main desk at the front of the class. Just then the door slammed behind him and he turned slowly to look at moody face stalking along the aisle toward him, the man's robes billowing out behind him dramatically. Ed stepped aside easily, as he supposed the man was expecting him to do, and with a 'jeez, this guy' expression on his face, he leaned against the side of the nearest desk, watching the man with lazy amusement.

The whole automatic authority figure thing didn't work on Ed, bottom line was that he either respected you or he didn't and he either took you seriously or he didn't. Mustang had been annoying, because at first Ed hadn't respected him, he'd just taken him seriously, but then as the years went by, he'd started to respect the man, hence the annoyance.

As for mister no name moody face, he had neither Ed's respect nor his serious consideration, and no one besides Izumi had ever instantly had both, as well as _fear_ instilled in him.

' _Shit, I miss home.'_ he sighed inwardly.

He was drawn from his thoughts when moody face slapped an exam booklet down on the desk he was leaning against and then he set down a bottle of ink and feathered quill,

"I see you haven't brought any…writing material either, and it's really not doing your first impression any good, El-ric." the tall man said through clenched teeth.

Edward sighed aloud, biting back a smartass comment, and the man did not look impressed with his blasé attitude. And it was moody face's tense posture that made Ed decide to approach the situation from a new angle, because the last thing he needed was to be on this guy's bad side and find himself in detention or some other asinine sort of school punishment every day. He couldn't have that, he needed all of his free time.

So Ed decided to play the calm and confident card that Mustang always claimed worked wonders,

"What's your name, Professor?" he asked in a light, even tone.

The man's morose expression faltered and the crease between his eyebrows deepened, making his angry scowl look more like confusion and wariness,

"Professor Snape, or sir, is all you may address me as."

"Professor Snape huh, okay…" Ed nodded lazily and then he smiled slyly, "I'll tell you what, since we got off on the wrong foot-…"

"Are you about to try and neg-otiate with me?"

"-…I say we make a deal-…"

"El-ric-…"

"…-if I get at least a 90% pass on every _single one_ of these owl tests-…"

"…"

Ed paused then, raising a questioning eyebrow at Snape when the man didn't try to interrupt him again, and if Ed was reading him correctly, the man seemed curious and…amused. _Ah hah_ , so Snape liked to challenge his students, probably because he always won. Well, Ed would be changing that score very soon.

"Go…on." Snape said after a beat of silence and Ed gave him a full on shit eating grin,

"Then you have to stay off my case _all year_ ," he didn't even know if he'd be there all year, but just in case, "and in return, I'll agree to be a good, cooperative student in your classes." Ed looked him right in the eye, so the man would see the sincere honesty behind his next words, "And trust me, Professor, I'd be doing you a major favour with that last part." he folded his arms over his chest, still grinning.

Snape gave him a slow, unreadable once over,

"What…exact-ly, makes you think I would need a deal, to have you be-have in my…classroom?" he questioned, but he still seemed interested. Edward could see that he didn't want to give even an inch in his 'I'm a mean teacher' façade, but he was doing it all wrong, and oh, if only he could meet Izumi…

"Look, it's a win-win situation," Ed upturned his palms, "because if I don't pass with the scores I said I would, you get to make my life hell, but if I do, I don't make yours hell." he bobbed an eyebrow.

Snape stared at him for a long moment and then raised his chin,

"You're very…presumptuous…El-ric, but I see no downside to this…deal…" he smirked and Edward knew he had Snape right where he wanted him then, "…very well. **90** **per-cent** pass on every paper, or you will find yourself in detention every-single-day."

Edward nodded once and then Snape put his hand out,

"No wands during written exams." he stated, expression grim again.

With a quick movement Ed pulled his wand out from inside his cloak and spun it once in his hand before presenting the grip end to Snape with a smirk. The man's mouth turned further downward at the unnecessary display of dexterity and he took the wand with a firm grasp and a quick snatch, Ed releasing it just before he pulled it away.

They looked at each other for a second longer and then Ed smirked wider,

"I think you and I are gonna get along just fine, Professor." because Snape looked like a man who was trying just a bit too hard to be an asshole, and, Ed suspected that if someone earned his respect, they probably earned his trust too, which could be really useful in the long run.

And seeing as Edward knew the face of a real asshole, _coughMustangcough_ , and he personally had a pretty bad streak of assholeness himself, he knew how to handle people just like himself and his C.O.

And to make it even easier, Snape was used to dealing with _kids_ …and Edward Elric was _not_ a kid.

"Just sit down, Elric." Snape turned away quickly and Ed noticed with a grin that he'd sounded more amused than annoyed, and that he'd spoken in a normal, smooth sentence that time, with none of that dramatic slow speech bullshit.

He probably didn't think Ed could pull off the terms he'd set for the deal, so Snape was feeling prematurely smug.

But when Ed did exactly as he said he would and then some…

…yup, they would get along just fine.

* * *

When Ed finished the first written exam, a boring and long test on Transfiguration, which he nailed in twenty five minutes –hindered to an extent by writing with a fucking quill-, with a smile he sat back in the chair and whistled two separate notes in sing-song succession to get Snape's attention where the man was sitting at his desk. And when he looked up from whatever he'd been doing, Edward held up the closed exam booklet, waved it lightly and bobbed his eyebrows.

Snape was, to his credit, pretty damn stoic, not showing if he was surprised or anything, and that was fine, Ed liked a challenge. So when Snape raised his hand and made a 'bring it here gesture', Edward complied –and he even managed not to roll his eyes- , as he stood up and took his exam booklet to the older man at the front of the classroom.

Thereafter he received a second booklet, the Charms exam, which he finished in just under a half hour. Then came the History of Magic, and Edward was sure there would never, ever be a more boring subject. In fact, he suspected that boring him into a stupor early in the game might have been Snape's intention, and they'd shared a long mutual glare across the space between them at one point during the essay part of the history paper, but still, Ed completed it in a half hour.

Astronomy was fascinating and quite literally _out of that world_ and Ed would have loved to read much more on it, but he'd only done the required reading on Astronomy for the exam, and he finished that test in about twenty minutes. When it came to Ancient Runes, Ed had read the required books twice for personal reasons, so he knew it so well that he aced the test in fifteen minutes. Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology and Divination took him forty five minutes all together, he even surprised himself by how easy the answers were to remember, especially with it all being so fresh in his mind.

Snape saved Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts for last.

The potions test was easy and the processes rudimentary, and for Ed as an alchemist, memorising the exact ingredients, preparation method and purpose of anything chemically mixed was practically second nature to him, so he got through that super long test breezily, in thirty five minutes.

Snape had taken that exam booklet from him with a renewed scowl.

Edward figured he was just sore about the results so far, Ed knew the older man had been grading his finished papers while he continued writing and they'd been exchanging glances occasionally, Edward's smug and Snape's more and more annoyed.

When Ed was almost to the end of his DADA paper, there was a knock at the classroom door. Edward didn't pay attention to it, he was itching to get to the end of the paper because he was _hungry_.

He'd gotten up too late to find any breakfast that morning and so he was in need of a big lunch.

Snape silently got up and strode past Ed's desk, all billowing robes and stiff posture and Edward rolled his eyes to himself as he flipped to the last page. He heard the door yanked open and Edward could just about hear the tone of a female voice talking, but the door was so far from where he sat that he couldn't make out what was being said. So he continued through to the end of the test and soon he put the final answer down in his reasonably legible cursive hand writing –he was getting too lazy to write neatly by that point- and then he flipped the exam booklet shut and leaned back in the chair.

If he remembered correctly, which he did, then there were only ten written tests, the last of which he'd just completed and after that it would all be practicals. So that meant he was finally done writing with the stupid ink and feather, which was good because his fucking hand was cramping with that dip and scratch shit. Seriously, what was wrong with good old fashioned **pens**?

Well, anyway,

"Hey, Professor Snape!" he turned in the desk to look down the aisle, all the way to the professor who was blocking the doorway, "I'm done, hurry up so I can get this over with already." he announced.

When Snape turned to look back at him, Edward saw a woman lean over to peak at him, and just next to her was _Mustang_ , and Ed felt a small swell of relief at seeing the colonel again, a familiar face…the only familiar face.

When Snape turned away again and blabbed some more to the female at the door, Edward flashed Mustang his trademark grin and gave him a wink and thumbs-up, indicative of his intentions to be his usual trouble making self, no way was he gonna let circumstances change him.

Just then Snape raised his voice enough that Ed could hear him,

"I believe this is…a waste of time, homeschooling is in-sufficient for anyone to become a…successful…wizard." he was saying in his dramatic, kill me now, dragged out manner of speaking and Edward leaned his head back and put his fingers to his temple in the shape of a gun,

"Oh, please!" he said audibly as well, since that statement had no doubt been intended for him.

"Be quiet, Elric!" Snape scolded, but again, he said it in one smooth sentence, Edward counted that as a victory.

There was a moment more of inaudible talking in which Edward was unable to see Mustang since Snape was blocking the doorway again, then Snape stepped back and slammed the door before turning and glaring at Ed. He walked up quickly and snatched the exam booklet out of his hand,

"You need to learn your place, Elric." the older man said in a clipped tone as he walked off, dropping the exam paper on his own desk with a slap and then turning around with a flare of his robes.

Edward had leaned back and put his feet up on the desk beside the one he was using and the look that Snape gave him was impressively mean, it would have scared a regular student easily, but Ed just raised his eyebrows.

"Are you try-ing to test…my patience?" Snape asked quietly, tensely.

With an exaggerated sigh Ed dropped his feet off the desk, just going through the motions. After all, he'd played the same game with Mustang in the beginning and he was just setting the stage. Eventually, Ed knew he'd be able to get away with putting his feet up at least two to three times out of five with Snape. It was just fact.

Snape took a subtle but deep breath before he spoke again,

"Now, before I finish grading these," he gestured to the stack of exam booklets, "we'll move onto your practical exams. Let's begin with Charms." he said in yet another fluent sentence, no unnecessary pauses. Snape pulled open a drawer in his desk and out of it he retrieved an egg along with Edward's wand and, after some uncertain hesitation, he decided to toss the latter to Edward.

When Edward caught it deftly in his left hand, he saw the corner of Snape's lip curl up and Ed smirked right back, then Snape stated,

"Levitate." and he tossed the egg into the air abruptly.

Edward's eyes snapped up to the egg and he had to suppress the urge he immediately felt to clap his hands and transmute the energy present in and around the egg in order to make it float. Luckily he caught himself before he could, but he still used his alchemy over magic when he quickly raised his wand, remaining where he sat as he pointed it at the egg. There was a subtle charge and snap of purple energy that danced off the tip of the wand before the egg stopped a meter from the ground in dead suspension, not even bobbing or shifting. Edward remembered then that he was supposed to levitate it, not stop it, so he eased up on his command of the energy and let it bob slightly, decreasing and increasing the energy he was using to sustain it in the air so it appeared to be 'floating.'

Magic was so illogical. But Alchemy still made sense to him and came most naturally.

When he glanced at Snape, the man was staring straight at him with a new look in his eyes, one of honest shock and fascination,

"Change its color." he stated in a thoughtful voice, watching Edward intently.

Edward held the older man's gaze as he kept his wand steadily pointed at the egg, and in his mind he commanded the energy, by an unnatural equation, to force the pigment of the egg shell to go against nature and change color.

When a few more charges of energy subtly danced over the wand, Snape snapped his eyes to look at the egg, and he watched as Edward changed the shell from blue, to green, to red, to purple and he only stopped changing it when Snape's eyes settled back on him, somewhat gravely.

"Use…a growth charm." he said a bit quieter than before.

Edward did as told, forcing the egg to swell in size against all logic, just as a Philosopher's Stone could have done, and Ed told himself not to feel bad as he took advantage of the energy, because it was completely freeform and he could use it as he pleased.

"Return it to normal." Snape said shortly and Edward did as told and then hovered the egg over to where it floated just in front of the professor. The man raised his hand and placed it around the egg, his eyes boring into Edward's as he curled his long, pale fingers around it.

He broke eye contact then and placed the egg back in his drawer before he walked away from his desk and then up the staircase in the back of the classroom. Edward idly fidgeted with his wand as he waited until Snape reemerged from the office, and when he did, he was carrying a…cat. Edward frowned as Snape walked up to the desk he was sitting in and placed the cat on the desktop gently, holding his hands lightly around it's fragile middle so it didn't run or jump away.

Edward expected what was coming next and he didn't like it,

"Vanish it." Snape stared intensely down at Ed.

The teen didn't like the idea of making a living creature disappear, it made his stomach feel uneasy, no matter how many times he'd read about what happened in the transfiguration classes, it still bothered him to think of doing it himself.

Doing unnatural things to inanimate objects was one thing, but a _living_ creature was another, especially a cute, furry, ginger cat that Ed just knew Alphonse would have loved.

' _Alphonse…'_ he thought with a deep ache in his chest, remembering that in order to get home he needed access to Hogwarts' library, which meant he needed to pass the stupid owl tests so that he could gain said access.

"Can you **not** do the spell?" Snape sounded…disappointed.

Edward looked up at him sharply from where he sat and he narrowed his eyes as an idea came to him.

To make himself feel better, Ed decided that instead of vanishing the cat with illogical magic that he didn't know the internal workings of, he decided he would deconstruct the animal and reconstruct it, in order to make sure it remained perfectly unharmed,

' _I'll reconstruct it in the school hallway, then it can go free.'_ he sat up straighter then and he saw Snape narrow his eyes curiously.

Now usually Edward would never do it, would never be able to do it actually, because the human, or in this case, living species transmutation, would require the animal passing through the Gate, which would require a toll from the alchemist to bring it back again. But Ed knew he could do it without hindrance using the magic energy, specifically and especially after he'd proven it to himself by transmuting his arm, that he could use the energy to do anything alchemically without consequence, without even a transmutation circle. So this would just be another more extensive test…another experiment to help him decide what to do about his leg.

As he raised the wand he experienced a small bout of inward panic, afraid that when the cat was reconstructed, it might be missing a limb or an organ, that maybe the magic wouldn't be absolute in its use. But then he steeled himself against his doubts and with a quick re-decision to reconstruct the cat in the classroom, just in case it needed help, Edward pointed the wand at the softly purring, docile cat.

Firstly, within his mind he broke down the full composition of the cat's biological make up, before he calculated the complex equation for conducting and manipulating its physical matter. And as the magic energy surged into his body, a greater amount for what he was about to do, he channelled it into his poised wand and fine arcs of purple and red energy flared up and danced off from his hand, into and around the wand, the sentience of which accepted the rush of energy cooperatively.

And it only occurred to Ed belatedly that using species transmutation would bring forth the _hands_ and _eye_ of the Truth, which made him panic anew, his eyes widening as he stared at the energy flaring and snapping subtly around the cat, because if Snape saw signs of the Truth, he'd know it wasn't magic and then Ed's cover would be blown. He'd been so worried about the cat's safety that he'd completely forgotten…

But when the cat purred and blinked cluelessly as it seamlessly begun to deconstruct, Snape snatching his hands away when fine pieces disintegrated from the cat's form, breaking off into flakes of matter and chemical, and there was no eye, and no hands, not even any unpleasant feedback coming through the reaction, Edward slowly grinned in amazement, forgetting to breath as the purity and smoothness of the transmutation both relieved and thrilled him. And just when the cat completely disappeared and Ed heard Snape begin to say something, Ed's previously laid out equation followed through and there was a crackle of energy from behind Snape.

It'd all happened within seconds, and just like that, the ginger cat reconstructed smoother than it had been broken down and it landed on the desk on all fours after a brief flare of energy crackled above it, and the creature did little more than meow before it scampered off in a hurry…and in one perfect piece.

Edward was still smiling as he stared at the desk where the cat had been, and it took all of his willpower to reel in his elation and the butterfly-like feeling in his stomach and chest of anticipation for the possibilities already lining up in vivid calculations and images in his mind. He had to keep himself in check, even as his pulse raced and his breathing was quietly shallow.

Edward tempered his smile when Snape turned away from staring at his desk where the cat had been, to look at him with his dark eyes wide and his face paler than usual,

"Did you just-…did you just _apparate_ that cat?" the professor narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "What was that, Elric?" he leaned in, placing his hands on the edge of Ed's desk as he hissed out the question.

Edward was still feeling the thrilling rush of having _alchemically transmuted_ _ **and**_ _transferred a living being from one place to another,_ and so it took him a second to realise he needed to placate Snape with some kind of explanation. He blinked as he searched his racing mind for the meaning of 'apparate' and it came up within seconds, so he quickly followed through, blinking a few more times rather innocently at the older man,

"Yeah well, I don't like vanishing spells because I don't know where the animal goes, and it's a living creature, so like, it's really cruel to-…" Edward was cut off when Snape –surprisingly- grabbed him by the front of his shirt and cloak and pulled him closer.

Edward had fought the urge to counter the grab when it happened, and was still fighting the urge to shove Snape off and knock him on his pasty white ass, but seeing the shocked, intrigued and baffled look in Snape's eyes, Ed knew the man just needed to be calmed, because Edward was breaking the rules of magic –and alchemy too- and the former was freaking Snape the fuck out.

"It is… **impos-sible** to apparate a separate living being that you are not physically apparating alongside, Elric." he stated through clenched teeth. "What's **more** , is it is _illegal_ for an underage wizard, as well as a wizard _without_ a license, to apparate anything at all." he informed the blonde.

Edward blinked innocently again,

"Did you see _me_ apparate?" he grinned, and Snape's eyes narrowed sharply at the comment, **but** , Edward had him there. Since he hadn't actually 'apparated' himself, and wasn't sure he would be doing that himself any time soon anyway, he hadn't actually broken any magic government laws or rules. So Ed just waited patiently until Snape slowly released him and stood up straight, looking down his nose at Ed as his disgruntled expression settled to its former moroseness.

"You're a very talented wizard for your…age, Elric." he stated in an oddly serious tone of voice, "In fact, an excep-tional wizard over all since you appear…to know how to apparate in a manner I've never…seen before. You even seem to be able to do non-verbal spells with extreme ease, the likes of which even most skilled…sixth or…seventh year students couldn't manage." he finished with a slow blink and Edward just stared at him for a moment before shrugging and crossing his arms as he sat back in his chair,

"Thanks." he brushed off the useless observation slash compliment.

He'd heard the whole 'you're a prodigy and genius' thing many times before and he didn't really go for it, even if he was, he didn't need to hear it. And even then, it was alchemy that required an extreme IQ, not magic, so getting praise for using magic seemed ridiculous.

Snape just ignored him though,

"And your magic wielding is quite…curious, your charms and spells execute with a distinctive color and reaction when you perform magic, which is a very…unique manifestation of wizarding power I've only rarely witnessed." he was watching Edward very closely now, but the blonde knew Snape had no idea what alchemy really was, so he wouldn't be making any kind of connections or revelations. The books on alchemy in the magic world were pathetic and completely wrong, they had no clue of what true alchemy was, therefore no one in the magic world would suspect that the differences in his magic execution was anything quite so far removed from their world as _alchemy_.

After a further minute of staring at each other, Snape thoughtfully and Edward indifferently, the former's lips curled into a smile that looked like it hurt his face and Edward cocked an eyebrow,

"Shall we continue the exams?" the older man asked, his tone far more congenial all of a sudden.

Edward uncrossed his arms and laid them out along the back of the desk's attached seat and he nodded with a smirk. It was too soon to try and put his boots up again, but as he'd expected, he and Snape were already getting along better.

* * *

It was after one PM when Edward completed his Potions, Herbology and Divinations –that was the stupidest subject ever- practicals. So all that he had left to complete was his Care of Magical Creatures practical, his Astronomy practical and finally, for some reason Snape said it would be last, his DADA practical.

And shit, Edward was so damn hungry that it was getting to be all he could think about.

So after informing Snape of that detail enough times that it could easily be considered nagging, the older man had finally given in with a slow roll of his eyes. Following that, five minutes later, a small creature –Ed had to remember that these things running around the magic world were not chimera abominations but actual species- that was about three feet tall and dressed in _rags_ randomly appeared in the classroom near Snape's desk with a loud popping sound.

When 'it' looked from Snape to Ed, he stared at it, blinked at it, 'it' having a rather large head in comparison to its tiny body and skinny limbs, with bugged out eyes, a long nose, floppy pointed ears and translucent-like, deeply wrinkled skin. It looked so frail and old, but was seemingly steady enough on its feet as it walked over to Edward quickly, not saying anything as it held out the tray of lunch food it was carrying. Ed blinked from 'it' to where Snape still sat at his desk, but the professor wasn't watching, he merely continued to grade Ed's written papers. And because Edward still hadn't taken the tray, the small creature gently nudged it at him again, looking up at Ed with very large, expectant wide eyes.

Ed quickly shook off the weirdness of the scenario, of the little creature in rags bringing him food, and after clenching his gloved fists once tightly, he accepted the proffered tray,

"Uh, thanks." he mumbled to the little creature.

It just gave him an odd smile and nodded once before it popped away again, right before Ed's eyes.

Ed had to assume it was using Apparition, the magic kind that Snape had been ready to freak out about earlier.

Ten minutes later, Edward's plate was cleared, the weird orange coloured juice left completely untouched –because it smelled gross-, and he pushed the tray aside, licking his teeth clean as he glanced over at Snape, who was unaware of being watched at that moment and appeared to be quite impressed with something on Ed's exams. The teen smirked but didn't ask about it, instead he was wondering about something else,

"So, uh, what was that thing?" he shattered the silence and Snape's scowl was back in place so fast Edward had to suppress the urge to applaud him.

The professor blinked, took stock of the fact that Edward was done eating and then inclined his head slightly and raised an eyebrow,

"What…thing?"

Edward gestured with his hand just three or so feet above the ground,

"That little guy, with the big head…the one who brought the food." he clarified and then scratched absently at the side of his neck. Snape lowered his eyes back to what he was reading, the feather of the quill shifting as he continued to mark,

"That, Elric, was an elf."

An **elf**. Edward ran the word through his mind a few times and found it to be a completely strange one, one he'd never heard of before in any capacity or language. Deciding he'd read up on 'elf' kind at some point, he then put the little creature out of his mind for the moment and turned his gaze to the large windows and gloomy sky beyond.

"Are you ready to con…tinue?" Snape spoke as he pushed his chair back and stood up, neatly placing the exam paper he'd finished marking in a different pile. Edward nodded and leaned back in his chair with raised eyebrows,

"Yeah, shoot, what's next?" he asked with a lazy half-yawn, he honestly wasn't used to spending so much time in one place and it was making him sleepy.

Snape rounded his desk then and stepped down into the aisle, walking briskly past Edward as he instructed in a low tone,

"Follow me."

Edward frowned, absently wondering whether Snape was a mind reader as he got up quickly and without complaint. Honestly glad to be up and moving again, he followed Snape quietly out of the classroom.

* * *

And through the school corridors, and into the outdoors and down a steep hill at one far end of the castle, all the way with quick strides and silence, to a small hut looking house way down near the line of a thick forest of trees.

Ed kept up with the taller man all the way down, glad to be on his feet and getting some exercise after sitting around all day and both sets of their black clothes, Ed's cloak and Snape's robes, were being blown and whipped around quite snappishly by the winds along with Ed's ponytail and Snape's scraggly hair.

He was about to ask where they were going when he spotted the big guy from the night before standing next to a pumpkin patch and waving at him. Ed tried to rack his brain for the guy's name and was lucky that it popped into his head just as they came to stop a few feet from the happy, hairy guy,

"Hi, Professor Hagrid." Ed said with an even smile and when Snape glanced at him, looking surprised, he wondered why.

Hagrid on the other hand looked chuffed, his smile broadening as he nodded at Ed,

"Well, hullo Edward, good te' be seein' ye' again." he sounded really sincere about that, "I aven't bin' called Professor in a few yers'." he patted his sides, looking proud about Ed calling him that, "Diya' hear, Professor Snape, he called me professor?" Hagrid said to Snape, as if the man hadn't been standing right there when Ed said it.

"Yes, I heard him." Snape said, with surprisingly little disdain in his tone for someone as cheerful as Hagrid. Edward took note of that, "We've come…so that I can ass-ess Elric on his O.W.L for the Care of Mag-ical Creatures." he explained their reason for being there in that annoyingly slow and put upon tone again.

"O'course, o'course, come along Edward, lessee' to the Bowtruckle first." Hagrid gave him a great bearded smile and Edward just raised his eyebrows lazily before he walked along behind the large man, Snape falling into step behind them as they all made their way behind the house toward the tree line,

"Uh, hey, call me Ed." he said casually as he caught up to Hagrid, and the man nodded in agreement, still smiling.

* * *

About twenty minutes later the Care of Magical Creatures practical was over and Edward was not injured by the Fire Crabs at all. He was too good at avoiding getting burned by the Colonel to sustain an injury from a damn crab. He had plenty of experience from occasionally having to evade the older man snapping his fingers at him, usually trying to singe him in frustration when Ed was driving him nuts as he did like only he could.

Overall though, the crab thing had been a bit chimera like from Ed's perspective. Having lived in a landlocked country all his life, Edward had only seen river crabs a handful of times, but he knew that the Fire Crab was most certainly not a proper crab, since it only had six legs and it looked more like another creature he'd only rarely seen in rivers, that being a turtle. So it was essentially like a craburtle or something, and in the case of the Fire Crab, a very –bizarrely- bejeweled craburtle.

' _Yeah, but this place is weird anyway.'_ he thought presently as he and Snape ascended the hill again, heading back to the school. Hagrid had just got done praising Ed's excellent performance and Snape was starting to look rather resigned, _'He's probably realizing he's been whitewashed.'_ Ed grinned and stuck his hands into his cloak pockets as they walked, taking wide steps and catching the sand and rocks easily under the traction of his combat boots as he climbed alongside the professor.

At the top of the hill, once they were on level ground again, Snape stopped walking abruptly and he turned to face Edward. The blonde watched as the older man slowly extracted his wand from inside the folds of his robes,

"Seeing as how…we have to wait until night-fall to…complete your astronomy practical…"

"Defense Against The Dark Arts?" Edward asked, understanding the professor's intentions immediately as he too pulled out his red wood wand and took a couple of steps backward in the open grassy space.

He was kind of keen on that part of the exam actually, even though when he'd read up about how friendly wizarding duels took place, with bowing and a regulated distance from each other, he'd been pretty bored with the concept. He could only hope that Snape wouldn't go through the fussing of formalities…and he got lucky, because the man seemed to read correctly into Ed's ready stance, not bothering with the prelims as he simply took several steps back as well, putting a few good meters of distance between them before raising his wand halfway up, pointing it at the ground for the moment.

Snape had a contemplative look on his face as he spoke next,

"Since…you're able to perform non-verbal spells quite easily, per…haps, we should conduct this counter spells exam in that manner." he suggested. Edward shrugged, his wand not even yet raised,

"Yeah, whatever." it honestly made little difference to him either way.

With his alchemy he intended to just absorb any magical attack sent at him, he'd just break it back down into harmless energy and expel it. Out of nowhere and very briefly, Ed had a flashback of 'Father', standing in the completely leveled HQ main grounds and easily disintegrating each and every attack they threw at him as if it were nothing…and he realized that his present plan for the duel had been formed from that very unsettling catalyst.

He had an endless well of power at his fingertips, nothing could touch him…and so he would render his opponent's attacks useless. It was mocking, and it was arrogant…

Edward swallowed thickly, severely disliking that train of thought and he honestly had no idea where it was coming from. He made a quick mental note then to see Mustang as soon as he had a chance, he hoped that just some time spent with a familiar, grounding presence would settle his mind, because he was feeling a little overwhelmed deep down inside by everything he was suddenly able to do and he only seemed to be intermittently aware of it, which was concerning.

Snape stood at wizard-like attention as he cut his wand up through the air and then to the side just in front of his face in a strange rendition of a salute. And true to his nature, Edward shirked the tedious action of saluting and lazily made a winding motion with his wand in a gesture for Snape to move it along, making the man give him an annoyed look, much like Mustang usually gave him actually when Ed didn't bother to salute.

Snape struck his wand out abruptly then, in an upward flick, sending a jet of green energy straight at Edward. Ever ready for action -because he _lived_ that shit on a daily basis - the blonde sidestepped the energy with efficient ease and whipped his wand out in retaliation but with no particular wand movement, because alchemy didn't require fancy hand quirks. The red energy he shot at Snape was intended to hit the man's outer robe and deconstruct it to nothing, and as Edward knew the older man would, he struck his wand out again with a frown on his face, no doubt using a generic counter spell to deflect the energy.

But Ed's alchemy couldn't really be countered with magic, the parameters of the two energies causes and effects were too different, alchemy being far more complex and specific over magic's vague output and essence. And so when the red arc of energy met Snape's counter action, the alchemy deconstructed the green energy aggressively and with a sharp crackle, the suddenness of which forced Snape to step out of the way in surprise when the red energy continued to arc and nearly reached his outstretched wand.

He narrowed his eyes at Edward after the red energy dissipated, and Ed blinked at him as innocently as possible,

"What spell was that?" he demanded to know. Ed managed not to smirk,

"Uh, I thought we were doing non-verbal spells, Professor." Ed defended lamely, because he couldn't give an answer to that question. And as a frustrated response, Snape shot another spell at him and that time Edward used his alchemy to just deconstruct it, remembering to bring his wand up at the last minute, and Snape's attack was swallowed up again with a sharp crackle.

Ed took a deep quiet breath, because the surge of unimpeded energy through his veins each time was intoxicating,

' _I could really get used to this.'_ he admitted to himself at being able to throw up a shield or put out deconstructive power without even having to move, by just using his mind…his _brilliant_ mind that would eventually fall into disuse back home in Amestris without his alchemy. Ed knew it was what 'Father' had been able to do, and even Hohenheim, using unnatural power so freely, and he knew it shouldn't be so simple to do it, and that he shouldn't be so comfortable with it, but it **was** and **he** was and that was somehow the best part of it.

There was no guilt to contend with since no one was getting hurt or getting sacrificed for it.

Snape looked extremely displeased as he stood considering Edward, probably upset and disconcerted because he wasn't able to guess the spell or counter spell Ed was using…because Ed wasn't using any.

' _Poor bastard._ ' he snickered at Snape's visible irritation.

And then it was **on**! Snape started shooting spell after spell at him in quick succession and Ed chose not to use his wand or any counters, rather, he simply dodged everything cast his way because he was a master at evading attacks. The better part of his life had depended on doing so actually, and for attacks far more perilous than Snape's magic. Seriously, the little magic light show Snape was putting out was nothing compared to soul bonded armor ninjas taking swipes at him with a sword, or Pride's lightning fast shadows trying to slice and maim him or, heck, even his _sparring_ sessions with Alphonse had always kept him more on his toes than the magic duel was managing to right then.

Ed suddenly missed home quite fiercely, thinking of his recovering sibling being out of his reach, and he abruptly felt angry at himself for _enjoying_ the magic world so much more than he should.

With deft speed Edward usually reserved for taking out his opponents in fights, he dodged another jet of magic and charged at Snape physically, and as expected, the man faltered with wide eyes, back stepping with some panic at Ed's rapidly approaching speed. He probably expected Ed to physically tackle or hit him, and in an actual physical combat session, Edward would have done just that. But Snape was no physical fighter and this was a magic duel, so Ed stopped short, a few feet from Snape and with a grin for getting the man's guard so far down, making him completely vulnerable, Edward said aloud,

"Expelliarmus." as he pointed his wand at Snape's, effectively disarming the older man and wordlessly summoning the released wand to himself afterward, Ed caught it in his free hand.

Snape stared at him, his mouth hanging slightly open, all pretense gone for the moment as he stood just short of gaping. And wow, Edward was really enjoying it way too much. Coming from a world full of _actually_ dangerous people and things to a place where people fought with superficial magic tricks and _nothing_ else, was honestly like going from the frying pan into a spa bath! It was like a fucking vacation.

Ed reeled in the urge to laugh out loud and tossed Snape's wand back to him and the man snatched it out of the air without missing a beat, his mouth snapping shut before Ed asked,

"So, do I pass?" he smirked.

Snape glowered at him then,

"Not… **yet**." he said curtly before he gestured sharply with his chin for Edward to follow him.

And from there they made their way back into the castle, Edward making a 'why me' face as he followed.

* * *

A Boggart was next.

They were back in the classroom presently and Snape stood beside a large trunk on the floor that was bumping and shifting around animatedly,

"Are you ready?" he asked Ed slowly.

Edward had read about Boggarts, aware that they were apparently supposed to manifest as your absolute worst fear the moment you laid eyes on the thing,

"Yeah." he answered flatly and clenched his jaw, his face in a scowl because he didn't much like the idea of what form the Boggart might take on when he saw it.

Because anything that Ed really and truly feared, which wasn't much to be honest, was all really personal stuff, and he knew Snape would get to see it and he **really** didn't like that. He glanced at Snape then and the man raised an eyebrow,

"You do know how to stop…it?" he asked, probably noticing how Ed was scowling and misinterpreting it as anxiousness or whatever.

Edward thought it might be nice if he could just kill the fucking Boggart, just hit it with a quick deconstruction attack, the likes of which Scar would probably be proud of, and then he'd get to see what the tormenting little fucker looked like once and for all…or what'd be left of it anyway. But again…the test was about magic, and he was supposed to try not to draw too much attention to himself, and already he'd done one too many things that Snape took close notice of, so Ed decided to play his next hand safely, by just using the appropriate spell.

He nodded at Snape to go ahead and the man slowly turned and leaned down to open the trunk while Edward wondered about what it would be. It wouldn't take on the form of any Homunculi, because as much as he hated them, he wasn't actually afraid of them, not anymore anyway. And it couldn't be the Gate either, Ed had been there and done that one too many times and it no longer frightened him as it had when he'd been eleven years old…

He cut his musings short when Snape stepped back from the now open trunk, looking intently at the Boggart as he moved to stand just behind the trunk. The forward bastard was probably eager to see what scared Ed, but mind you, so was Ed.

For a split second Edward wondered if the Boggart would take on the form of milk –which would just be gross- but then he knew that wasn't a fear, it was more like loathing. He focused then on the seemingly empty trunk just as the creature jumped out in a swirl of blurry movement and half formed shapes, presumably trying to take the right form. And the first thing Ed noticed then was that slowly but surely the room began to darken, and he glanced around and then down, noticing next how the floor was changing into dark wood panels just beneath his feet and the walls seemed to close in, shadows becoming animated.

Next, chalk lines appeared just before his feet, slowly spreading out into a large human transmutation circle, and then there was blood, a lot of blood, starting to spread out from the center of it. Edward's heart was racing a mile a minute already, even though he knew what he'd see next…it was something that he still saw in his nightmares sometimes. He faced it though, as he always did in his nightmares, trailing his eyes over the glowing circle to the blood. His fists were clenched tightly as his eyes fell on the deformed, blood spewing black tangle of limbs and organs sputtering and reaching out to him from the middle of the chalked array.

Edward swallowed thickly when the creature rasped out, just as it had in real life and always repeated with crystal clarity in his nightmares, it said his name, hissing longer and somehow more desperately than usual. The confusion of it though, was that Ed wasn't _afraid_ of that memory anymore, because he'd long since learned that the abominable creation in the circle wasn't Trisha, so he didn't understand what the Boggart was playing at…not until the voice of it changed.

And Ed's eyes widened then when he realized what was happening, watching with accelerating breathing as the thing in the circle reached for him again and rasped out the word,

" **Brother…** " in _Alphonse's_ voice.

And like ice cold water trickling down his spine, Edward recalled that Alphonse's soul had latched on to that disgusting abomination, and that his little brother would have died with **it** if his soul hadn't been rejected.

Alphonse could have... **died**.

And Edward's chest hurt with the truth of it, that his worst fear was of Alphonse _dying_.

Alphonse was alive though, Ed chose to believe that, and wouldn't allow himself to get caught up in the twisted, distant memory vision before him. He was more concerned with the fact that Snape was in the room, even if Ed couldn't see him right then, and the teen didn't want the professor seeing anything more than he already had. So he raised his wand with a lightly trembling hand, as he searched his mind for something disarming, because he was supposed to turn the awful, disturbing memory into something neutral or funny _._

He still had his teeth clenched tightly together as he watched long, twitching fingers stretching up and out to him, too long to have ever been his mother's. He watched the black, rotten flesh slip and peel from the too large bones, splatting into the blood on the floor. And then he took a deep breath and thought of the last time he'd felt some sense of peace and calm, because he needed to calm down before he just blew the damn Boggart to hell.

Edward smiled slightly when he found a recent memory and no sooner than he'd visualized it mentally, did he aim his wand at the abomination,

"Riddikulus." he said firmly, using the magic just as it was.

Within seconds the darkness retreated and the entire vision sucked itself in and changed suddenly, and in a quick flurry and pop, there, flying around just above the trunk and making soft clicking noises and screeches, was the little dragon Ed had seen in Diagon Alley.

Snape was visible again with the larger vision gone, and after a stunned blink, he waved his wand and the Boggart was thrown back into the trunk, which Snape closed and locked with magic before he turned his intense gaze onto Edward.

' _Oh right, he saw that thing.'_ Ed forced himself not to grimace or scowl in irritation. Snape's unsettled expression made sense though, since seeing that thing would be disturbing to anyone. Still, Edward wasn't going to be forthcoming about it and he just stared right back at the professor, keeping his face serious so as to let Snape know he shouldn't get on the wrong side of that particular topic, especially since _everyone_ had _private_ skeletons in their closet, even if Ed's were a little more literal than most peoples.

Snape looked contemplative for a long moment as he regarded Ed's sudden solemnity, both of them standing in silence for a few long seconds before the professor nodded,

"You…pass." he said just audibly.

Edward's shoulders relaxed then, feeling better knowing Snape wasn't going to ask any questions.

"So it's just Astronomy left, right?" he felt really tired all of a sudden. It really had been a fuck-long day, even his State Alchemist's written exam, while having been far – **far** \- more difficult, hadn't take so long to complete.

Snape nodded stiffly and raised his hand to flick some hair out of his face,

"You have the option of doing a…Patronus…charm, for bonus points, but it's not necess-ary…" he said slowly, and then looked at Ed expectantly, almost challengingly in a way.

Edward raised an eyebrow at the none-too-subtle suggestion from the professor. He'd read about the Patronus Charm, used to conjure up your happiest memory in order to manifest a protective spell that would cast off a life and joy sucking parasitic magical entity called a 'Dementor'. Of all the things Ed had read about, the Dementor had been the most disturbing thing he'd learned of in the magic world. And after reading about it, he'd likened its abilities to the Truth's massive all seeing eye and it's iced cold, clammy hands that immobilized a person with fear as it dragged them away against their will, to a place where no matter how loud you screamed no one could hear you and you felt like your head would explode.

Sometimes it still amazed Ed that he'd come out of that place sane, when he'd only been a child.

"I'll do it." he decided easily when Snape moved to go to his desk for something. The man paused and looked back at him, raising an eyebrow before he turned to face Ed and spread a hand out, inviting Ed to go ahead. Apparently he was past questioning how Ed was able to do all of these things.

Edward hadn't ever done a Patronus Charm before, obviously, like most of the other magic, but he understood its method and intended outcome. And what was more, was that among all of his horrific memories, his few happy ones stood out in stark contrast, and finding a memory that made him smile and fill with warmth was not hard.

He raised the wand, having to use magic-magic just as he had for the Boggart, so that the magic energy and wand could do what they did by the laws of that world, bringing forth his happiest memory in order for it to manifest in the form of an animal-like guardian. Ed concentrated, shutting out all of his horrible memories, like he'd used to do after a nightmare in order to fall asleep again and he thought of a better time and place,

" _Expecto Patronum._ " he said firmly as he swiveled the wand around, just as the book had instructed to do.

There was a second when a bright silver-blue light started to emit from the tip of his wand, getting brighter until energy spiraled from it, and from inside the burst of light…slithered a snake-like entity with a larger than usual head, a long flicking, forked tongue and small bone like wings. Edward's eyes widened as he took in the sight of it, and he thought he heard Snape make a soft gasping sound. Ed recognized the snake when it smoothly slithered into a perfect circle, seamlessly eating its own tail before it slithered right back out again, whole and fluent, moving through the air in splashes of blue and white.

It was the Ouroboros Serpent.

Edward would have expected to be unsettled by its association with him because of the Homunculi, but he somehow just knew that it had nothing to do with his blood relation to them or to Father. No, rather, he recalled with crystal clarity having read something once as a boy when he'd been snooping through Hohenheim's alchemy notes, and he found himself smiling as he mentally recited,

' _The Ouroboros represents infinity or wholeness. One is all and all is one, the eternal unity of all things, the cycle of birth and death from which alchemists seek release and liberation."_ that was what the Ouroboros Serpent truly represented.

He slowly lowered his wand to his side as the Patronus Charm faded, unsurprised really that his happiness manifested as alchemy. Because it had been everything to him, besides Alphonse obviously, and it had saved his life more times than he could count, it had been his legacy, and Al's legacy.

It had represented his strength and his intelligence.

It had represented taking a volatile, chaotic world and creating order and balance with advanced science.

Had been…had…past tense…because he didn't have it anymore…

"Fascinating." Snape mumbled distantly where he stood near his desk and Edward blinked out of his thoughts as he looked at the older man and raised his eyebrows,

"Heh, yeah, that was pretty cool." Edward responded with a slightly sad smile on his face.

Snape blinked sedately at Ed's comment before he waved Ed away,

"You may return to your room, Elric." he said a bit shortly, "I will fetch you at nightfall, do **not** wander the school." he added the last part sternly, despite his tone being somewhat distracted.

Edward just shrugged, sighing as he ran a hand through his bangs and then down over his face, having not slept at all the night before, he was really starting to feel it,

"No problem, Prof, I'm gonna' take a nap." he informed as he waved a hand while walking down the aisle toward the exit.

If Snape had any objection to be called 'Prof', he didn't say anything.

* * *

It was around six PM when Snape came to get him again, and together they made their way up to the Astronomy tower. Edward had barely napped in the short amount of time that passed and he was aware that he looked ruffled and untidy. All the same, Snape made no comment about it as he conducted the astronomy exam with the help of Professor Aurora Sinastra. She was a nice enough lady, not too strict looking but not too talkative either, and in fifteen minutes Edward completed the final exam.

Honestly, he'd actually wanted to keep looking out of the telescope, because _holy shit_ , he'd been able to see other _planets_ through it. At first he'd thought it was a fucking magic trick, but then Professor Sinastra had explained how a telescope works to him and Ed found it made perfectly _logical_ sense. He'd been so amazed by it then, because in all his life, Edward had never seen such an amazing thing as another planet. The sight of the universe through the telescope had literally stopped the breath in his lungs when he'd first laid eyes on what he understood from the textbook to be what that world referred to asPlanet Mars. He'd seen the distinctive round shape of it, its orangey-red color and the vague features of its surface…where it was _millions_ of miles away from 'Earth'.

Edward had even had excited butterflies in his stomach throughout the lesson, and again, he had to admit to himself that there were some things in that world that were just too incredible. Like the fact that there was something in the muggle part of the world called _space travel_. Wow. He couldn't even imagine…

Still, as fascinating as it was, he wasn't able to stay up there all night as Snape informed him, the man seemingly confused by Ed's interest in Astronomy, and they'd headed back down into the school when the exam was over.

When they arrived at Edward's small temporary room again, they stopped just outside the door and Edward paused with his hand on the door handle, because Snape was standing and looking at him with his arms across his chest and a not so severe look on his pale face. Ed cocked a questioning eyebrow at him and the man raised his eyebrows very slightly before he spoke,

"I have informed the Headmaster and now I must inform you, Elric…" Snape paused and inclined his head, "…you have passed your O.W.L's with Outstanding across the…board."

Edward couldn't help grinning lopsidedly at the dour older man,

"So, that 90% deal...?" he enquired.

Snape's mouth almost – _almost_ \- quirked into a smirk,

"Indeed, consider it…active." he blinked slowly and then looked over Edward's untidy appearance, "I dare say…that you have…impressed…me."

It was some kind of a compliment and Edward knew it, so _naturally_ , he looked as smug as ever about it, like the snotty brat Mustang always claimed he was,

"Yeah, I tend to do that a lot." he lazily scratched the back of his neck, "So what now?" he really hoped he was done jumping through hoops. He was totally pissed that Mustang's transition into the school had been _way_ easier than his own, it was so unfair.

Snape no longer looked impressed, he kind of looked like he wanted to roll his eyes actually, but he didn't,

"Now, El-ric, you must make yourself present-able…" he gave Edward another pointed once over, "…put your school robes on and pre-pare for the start of term…feast in the Great Hall. The new students will be arriving in a half…hour and you will meet with the first years and Professor McGonagall…at the grand staircase."

Edward couldn't help groaning about well, _everything_ the man had said, and Snape seemed amused by it.

"Whyyyy? Can't I just go and sit down with all the other students or something?" Ed was so over the formalities.

Snape very barely shook his head,

"You still have to be…sorted." he narrowed his eyes slightly then, "Don't be **late**." he stated firmly and then turned around, gliding away down the hall silently, all waving black robes and hair in his wake.

"Such a drama queen." Edward muttered before he went into his room and begrudgingly set about freshening up and making himself 'presentable' for the stupid term feast or whatever, grateful at least that there'd be food.

* * *

Next Chapter - Ed gets sorted by that nosy hat and makes himself at home with his new housemates. Also, a new POV!


	6. Sex

**A/n:** **\- This is not beta-read, apologies for any mistakes**

 **\- Chapter title means 'six' in Latin**

* * *

 **And whatever may come it slowly disappears**

* * *

Edward was pretty tired since he was running on minimal sleep, but it wasn't anything food couldn't fix and Snape had said something about a feast, so yeah, he was looking forward to that. And the food was pretty good at Hogwarts, judging from what he'd had for lunch that afternoon.

Presently, he was walking through the halls, away from where his temporary room had been. Professor McGonagall had told him the night he'd arrived that if he was enrolled he'd be moved to the house dorms where he'd stay for most of the year, and he supposed that's what the 'sorting' shindig was about, for it to be decided what house new students would be in,

"Geez, they make such a fucking fuss about everything." he mumbled to himself as he walked in the direction of the grand staircase.

He was wearing standard black slacks with a white button down shirt and his combat boots, which were mid-calf high and buckled properly –for once- over the bottom of the pants. He didn't really care that his boots weren't uniform regulation, he wasn't going to wear any shoes that he couldn't run or fight in at a moment's notice. And finally he had the standard black school robe on over everything else. It was long, looser and more flowing than his black cloak, hanging as low as his ankles, just a few inches above the floor and the sleeves were long and wide, hanging over his white gloved hands almost completely. Finally his hair was alchemy untangled and he'd tied it back into a neat ponytail again, and after having alchemized himself a temporary mirror in the room -practically out of thin fucking air-, he was satisfied with how he looked.

Well, except for the slight darkness around his eyes, to rectify that though, he needed to catch up on sleep.

He rounded a corner in the large drafty halls then, knowing his destination was just up ahead, and as he approached, his eyes fell on the heads of about thirty young kids, all of them standing on the wide staircase and not actually at the level top…because there, stood Professor McGonagall with her brown and black robes that practically swallowed up her thin form and she was still wearing that ridiculous pointed hat on her head. She was giving the young students some sort of rehearsed speech, but when she spotted him she stopped talking and gave him an annoyed once over. Ed knew it was probably because he was late…heh, Snape would probably be annoyed too and oh, how Edward loved pissing off authority figures.

Thinking of that, he wondered then how Mustang was doing in that strange place with its strange people, with everything that was so totally against what was considered natural and normal in their own world.

Ed really hopedhe'd get a chance to talk to the Colonel soon, aside from the need to touch base and mooch off the older man's stable presence, he also wanted to find out what Mustang's thoughts about Hogwarts were so far.

He was a few meters away -and apparently in scolding distance-, when McGonagall spoke,

"Mister Elric, I will stress to you now the importance of punctuality for future classes and appointments, and I trust that you will take my cautioning as seriously as I intend it." McGonagall said in her weird garbled accent, using her equally weird threats of school related consequences on him, as if detention and extra homework were such horrible punishments it'd actually make him worry enough keep him in line. Edward only just managed not to roll his eyes, because she probably wouldn't have appreciated that at all, and instead he gave her an ' _okay, I get it'_ look, raising his hands in placation as he stopped walking at the top of the staircase, moving to lean back against the wide stone banister.

The younger kids all looked at him then, some with curiosity and others in confusion. McGonagall's gaze lingered on him in disapproval before she tutted and shook her head. And Ed frowned at that, because that was a first for him, being _tutted_ , and bizarrely, it somehow felt more reproachful than the verbal rebuke.

"Now," she looked back to the younger students when she continued, "the sorting will begin as soon as we are present in the Great Hall, the rest of the school is waiting for us," she said to the eager slash nervous looking first years and then she glanced at him briefly, "you too, Mister Elric, come along."

She turned abruptly then and started walking away and Ed quickly caught up and fell in step with her, not wanting to have to trail behind with the group of first years. As they walked toward the large closed doors of the Great Hall, Ed was surprised when McGonagall spoke to him,

"I hear that you passed the O.W.L's with exceptional marks, a hundred percent on most subjects." she said, and she sounded like she was complimenting him, so Edward decided not to be an asshole by telling her that he only fell short in some subjects because he'd been bored out of his goddamn mind, "Very impressive Mister Elric, well done and welcome to Hogwarts." she added sincerely, her boots clipping the stone floors and his scuffing lightly, out of sync with all of the students trailing behind as they walked.

When he turned to look at her, Edward noticed that she was slightly shorter than him, but in her heels and with the hat, she appeared taller than she was. And since the brim of her hat was tilted down on his side, it hid her eyes from him, but he could see that she was smiling just slightly, so he smiled too, following Al's example of being polite when someone was being so toward him,

"Thank you, Professor." he said just loud enough for her to hear.

He didn't know if he sounded sincere, but he'd tried.

The first years were whispering and talking amongst themselves behind them and McGonagall glanced back and shushed them effectively just before they reached the massive double doors, which by the way, opened all by themselves right before they could walk through them.

The Great Hall had been relatively quiet when they entered, but as they walked down the center aisle between the four long rows of refectory tables, there was a buzz of conversation that started up, and Edward just managed to make out a few mumbles and hushed questions of ' _who is that?_ ' and _'look at his hair'_ and ' _who's the guy with McGonagall?_ ' and ' _is he a student?'_. He didn't look around or acknowledge anyone, instead he looked up at the hundreds of floating candles up near the fake dark cloudy sky ceiling and the low hanging fire chandeliers that gave the massive hall a nice warm temperature and glow. It looked pretty fucking awesome, even it was a little overwhelming at first glance.

As they approached the very front –or back- of the hall, Edward lowered his gaze from the ceiling and his eyes fell on the long table positioned horizontally across the width of the room beneath a large collection of stained windows. Sitting at that table, there appeared to be only teachers and Edward assumed that because along with the other adults seated there, he recognized Snape, Hagrid, Sinastra and Mustang, the last of which he shared a very brief and very subtle, but significant and acknowledging, look with.

A tall, white bearded –wow what a beard-, really, really, old man was standing at the center, and seemingly head of the teachers table, which made Ed assume that he was likely the headmaster, and the teen was surprised when the old man gave him a friendly smile and nod, the former of which Ed returned as evenly as he could, albeit not all that genuinely.

McGonagall brought them all to a stop at the end of the hall, directing Ed and the first years to stand just before a set of short steps that led up to the teachers table. She walked up the few steps and then turned to address the group of new comers, and the other teens filling the Great Hall were still talking, but when McGonagall turned to look out over the hall they immediately quieted,

"I will call each of your names, one by one, and you will come up…" she paused and glanced at an older student who was carrying a raggedy old brown hat and a stool over to where she stood. Ed watched as he walked passed McGonagall and set the stool down beside her, placing the hat on top of it, and when the student walked away again, she continued to speak, "…you'll come up and sit down here," she gestured to the stool, "and the hat will sort you into your new houses, thereafter you will be seated with the rest of whichever house is chosen for you." she finished with a curt nod as she tapped the rolled up scroll of paper she held into the palm of her other hand.

Edward was standing just to the left of where she stood, except he was at the bottom of the steps, with his hands in his pockets and his attention was wandering, his golden eyes trailing around the brightly lit hall while the first years all kept their nervous gazes on her.

"Mister Elric." she said his name to get his attention and he blinked, eyebrows raised in question when he looked at her, "You come along first, let's get you sorted before the first years." she gestured with her spindly hand and the rolled up paper for him to walk up the steps and sit on the stool, before she picked the hat up by its pointed end so that the seat was vacant.

Not really sure what to expect of the whole 'sorting' thing, Ed told himself to be prepared for anything as he walked up the few steps, walking over to the stool and then turning around to sit down. At that point there was another eruption of murmurs and he glanced up and looked out over the sea of teenage faces in the large hall as he absently hitched one booted foot up on the rung of the stool. McGonagall gave the noisy students a silencing look and when the hall was quiet again, she raised the old hat and Edward glanced up just before she set the heavy, musty smelling old thing on his head.

He was just wondering what the hat had to do with sorting kids into houses…and then he found out.

" _My, my, my…"_ Ed didn't physically start, but his heartbeat sped up and his skin prickled in shock when the hat on his head moved, the shifting weight of it making his head lean back slightly as if it were trying to see his face while it **talked** _,_ and its voice was raspy, slightly deep and eerily human, _"…quite a mind we have here, quite a mind indeed."_ it informed the entire hall loudly.

Edward narrowed his eyes and lowered his gaze to the floor, quickly surmising that the hat was most likely a soul bound to an inanimate object, but while his shock faded quickly, he still didn't like it, especially since it was saying something about his mind, as if it could read it somehow. That was very worryi-

" _Hmmm….so very,_ _ **very**_ _intelligent and what a cunning mind too, yes, yes, so self-assured and determined, a talent for achieving your goals and quite familiar with greatness, hmmm…"_ it went on and Edward was hyperaware that it wasn't just making shit up, it sounded like it knew what it was talking about, _"…and aggressive too, the potential to be an_ _ **excellent**_ _and_ _ **powerful**_ _wizard is prominent and almost certain for this one, yes, indeed…"_ the fucking hat was reading his damn mind, he could practically feel it!

And if it were able to read his mind whilst being a fully sentient human soul bound through magic or alchemy, that told Edward one thing, it had to have some kind of an open and active connection to the fucking Gate. Holy shit.

"… _and a leader he is…yes…from a distinct, ancient blood line too…"_ everyone was murmuring now, _"…_ _ **quite a boy**_ _, so very complex…"_ the hat's voice was lower now, thoughtful, speaking much quieter _"…and yet there's more, such strength and perseverance and such a_ _ **dark**_ _past…"_ the people in the hall found that statement murmur worthy too and Edward was fed up with this entity invading his mind. He hadn't liked it when the Truth did it but at least he'd gotten extensive knowledge in return for that mind-fuck, the stupid hat was getting a free ride!

The hat chuckled quietly then, no doubt fully aware of his discomfort,

"… _never you mind, I don't need any longer, my decision is certain…for such a great mind, no place to put you but..."_ Edward reached up, yanking the hat off his head just as it yelled, _"…SLYTHERIN!"_

There was an eruption of applause from the table to the furthest right of the Great Hall and as Edward stood up and handed the hat back to McGonagall, who was now frowning worriedly at him, he noticed that Snape was clapping slowly as well, looking pleased. McGonagall gestured for him to step down, pointing to the refectory table that had the loudest applauding students, while two other tables were uncertainly clapping and from the final one there was no applause at all.

He honestly didn't give a shit about what house he was in and he walked down the steps and to the right end table without hesitation, to where all of the students dressed in green and black robes were waiting and watching him, smiling slyly and pleased at him as they settled back down…huh, interesting. He hadn't thought much about it when he'd read about houses at the last minute on the train, but apparently there was a serious segregation between the students and Slytherin seemed to be the most disliked house.

Edward walked to the side of the table running along the wall of the hall, nodding at the teens who greeted and nodded at him as he passed until he was approaching an available space in the seating that he could slip into comfortably and was not too close to anyone on either side. When he stopped at the space and stepped in to sit down, the two people on either side both acknowledged him. On his right side was a girl with short brown hair who smiled at him, and on the left of him was a dark skinned guy who nodded and smiled slightly at him as well. Ed just returned the wordless greetings with a tight smile of his own and leaned his elbows on the table…wondering when the food would arrive.

* * *

"I know him." Hermione whispered loud enough so that Ron beside her and Ginny across the table could hear her, but not too many other people. Hermione was looking at the Slytherin table from where she sat and Ron glanced at where she was looking at the new blonde haired teen that'd just been sorted into Slytherin.

"You _know_ him?" Ron repeated in a questioning tone, frowning as if he were worried and offended all at once, and Ginny glanced at the Slytherin table as well before she looked back to Hermione with curious expectancy. Hermione managed to suppress the worst of her blush when she realized how she'd worded that,

"Well no, not actually _know_ him," she glanced briefly at the table top, "but I've seen him before, well, talked to him before, but only briefly, but, only because we bumped into each-…"

"Hermione?" Ron cut her off from babbling, sounding confused and mildly exasperated and she blushed a bit darker that time and frowned at him as he insisted, "Well, where did you talk to him?" he asked, leaning forward and keeping his voice down since the first years were still being sorted.

Ginny leaned in too, as placid in her interest as she was in everything else.

Hermione followed suit then, leaning in as well and lowering her voice further,

"In Flourish and Blotts, just yesterday afternoon, but I hadn't thought he could be a Hogwarts student, after all, I've never heard of a student enrolling in a new magic school so late into their schooling career." she shook her head, her long, lightly permed hair shifting on her shoulders in shiny waves.

Ron was shaking his head,

"Did you hear what the sorting hat said? About a dark past? Seems fitting he's in Slytherin, doesn't it, probably just another rotten supporter of…" Ron made a face, "…you know who." he still had trouble saying Voldemort's name.

And secretly, Hermione thought it was a bit narrow minded that her friends were so suspicious of _everyone_ in Slytherin. Of course, she knew it wasn't without relatively good reason, but still, just because a person was a part of Slytherin house, it didn't mean they were instantly evil, it just wasn't statistically likely.

"But it doesn't matter." Ron continued, "It's not the bloody stupid followers that we'd have to worry about if, you know..." he glanced briefly to the front where the hat announced a new Hufflepuff student, "…if **he's** really back." he added in a mumble. Hermione was about to comment on that but Ginny spoke first,

"Actually, it does matter, because the first wizarding war was only really a _war_ because of how many followers he had." she said with her ever present candor as she blinked calmly, glancing between the two older teens staring at her.

Ron looked a shade paler then and Hermione just shook her head and sighed, fiddling with her textbook on the table before she folded her forearms over it and glanced at Ron,

"His most dangerous followers probably won't be teenagers from Hogwarts..." she mumbled, not really certain of whether her words would make Ron feel any better. And honestly, she wasn't really thinking on it too much right then because her interest was focused beyond Ginny, on the new blonde Slytherin teen sat across the hall, who looked like he was bored out of his mind, sitting with his chin rested on one hand and his forearm folded on the table top as he watched the ceiling and levitating candles distractedly.

And as if he knew she was staring at him, he lowered his gaze and looked directly at her with his bright golden eyes, those eyes that had stopped her breath in her lungs when she'd first seen him the day before in the book shop. She blinked, stunned and embarrassed at being caught staring, and she looked away for a second…before glancing back, only to find that he was still looking at her and…smirking. Hermione put on her best upset but still somewhat neutral expression and she forced herself to look at Ron, who was talking to Ginny about Harry's theory that Malfoy was full-fledged evil.

But a few seconds later when the topic inevitably became dull, she couldn't help looking across the hall at the new boy again. That time, he wasn't daydreaming or looking at her, instead he was talking to the boy sitting beside him, Blaise Zambini, and he had an amused grin on his face that seemed to make him fit right in with the Slytherins.

The realization bothered her more than she expected, but she knew it was because the new student had been sorted into Slytherin and he seemed to be just _fine_ with it...and, so maybe, Ron was right?

With a sigh, she looked away again, glancing over to the doors in an attempt to distract herself, absently looking for Harry who had yet to show up since they'd left him on the train earlier.

When she didn't see Harry, she turned back to the conversing Weasley siblings, but her mind was not focused on their discussion, instead she was thinking that if Ron was right, and the new student was just another rotten Voldemort follower, then it'd be a shame…

…and she blushed faintly at the thought, dipping her head so that her open hair fell forward to cover her face, because she couldn't help thinking that he really was rather strikingly handsome.

* * *

Roy had heard of Edward's excellent pass, since all of the teachers were talking about it and were all really impressed by it. He wasn't, but that was only because he expected nothing less from Ed's brilliant mind, still, he'd pretended to be when he'd been informed about it a few hours earlier.

And overall, he'd been in pretty good spirits, because things had been going according to plan.

But then came the sorting ceremony and he couldn't help being worried when that _talking hat_ had started running its mouth. He'd been seriously annoyed with what it'd had to say about Edward, especially since the entire school population had overheard its nonconsensual invasive psychoanalysis of the blonde.

And even though it hadn't revealed anything too specific, what it had said was making a lot of the teachers and students talk and wonder about Edward, bringing even more attention to the already visually outstanding teen. It wasn't Ed's fault though, he'd actually seemed just as irritated by the nosy hat as Roy had been, probably more irritated mind you, since it was his privacy that'd been violated. Roy had been really relieved when the hat had finally announced that Ed was in Slytherin. But his relief only lasted briefly, because he'd noticed then that several of the teachers who had sat forward eagerly to hear where Ed would be placed -the headmaster included-, had frowned in uncertainty or had looked disappointed when Slytherin was chosen. Not Severus though, he'd seemed pleased and so Roy didn't know whether he needed to be concerned or not about whatever the bizarre mixed reactions meant.

The faculty did tend to gossip, and Roy's charming disposition had made them divulge a fair amount of information in the short amount of time he'd been there. And from what he'd learned so far, it was clear that most of the teachers who were not associated with Slytherin felt that the house was full of 'bad eggs', the consensus being that generally only the kids with bad traits and nasty 'pure-blood' families who had prejudice outlooks and cruel intentions, ended up in that house.

And so when the hat had described Edward's personality traits, Roy knew that hearing the things the hat said had sounded pretty dubious when stated outside of any additional context, when laid plain and bare as just words, and since no one in the magic world knew Ed as a person, and never would…it meant they would probably only think negatively of him. And on top of that, to make Roy worry even more, Edward was looking a little unwell, a lot like he'd been losing sleep, a sight Roy was all too familiar with after having seen Ed stressed and taxed and working hard to get Al's body back for so long.

Roy had remained outwardly neutral the entire time though, and had applauded along with the Slytherin students and Severus Snape, which had made the headmaster glance at him in a way Roy guessed the old man thought was surreptitious, but it really wasn't, and that was yet another thing to be concerned about. Why the look?

He'd hoped that he and Edward would be able to keep things clean and simple, get in, get out, but it was starting to look like it wouldn't be that easy to just blend in and stay under the radar. He was just hoping that at some point soon he'd have the chance to speak to Edward, preferably before things could get any more complicated.

* * *

Edward had just been zoning out, not really paying attention while the hat invaded other people's minds, when he got the distinct feeling that someone was watching him. And not watching as in glancing over curiously and discussing him, because a lot of people were doing that, but actually _watching_ him.

He did a quick sweep of his nearer surroundings as he sat with his chin in his right hand and then his eyes fell on the culprit…a familiar culprit. It was the brown haired girl from the day before, the sixth year student that he'd walked into in the book store. And when she realized he'd caught her staring she glanced away, seemingly embarrassed and he smirked, finding it amusing, and even more so when she looked back a second later again.

The face she made next when she pointedly looked away was amusing, it was like she was trying to appear indifferent but annoyed at the same time, it was a complicated expression, somehow pouty and blasé all at once.

He huffed out a single, quiet laugh at her affected expression, finding it childish, and also cute…she was cute actually.

He had just slid his gaze back to the front of the hall when the dark skinned boy sitting next to him nudged him once, so he took his chin off of his hand and turned to look at the guy beside him with a lazy blink. The teen extended a hand to Ed and spoke quietly so as not to disturb the sorting ceremony,

"The name's Blaise Zabini." he introduced with a sly grin of white teeth.

Edward took his hand and shook it, nice and tightly just because he could, and the boy's grin faltered very briefly,

"Edward Elric." he said just as quietly with a grin of his own.

Blaise nodded, grin properly back in place once he had his hand back and he gestured to Ed's other side,

"That next to you is Millicent," he pointed to her and the blonde looked at the slightly pudgy brown haired girl, she smiled again, "That's Crabbe and that's Goyle," Blaise then pointed across from where they sat to two heavy set boys who were both pretty stupid looking and they gave Ed nods and grins. Ed just nodded back, "and Pansy's next to em'." the dark haired girl smiled at him like a pleased cat, batting her eye lashes once.

Edward took a second to wonder why he was being introduced to these people so specifically, before Blaise continued, pointing down passed Millicent to a skinny, also not too bright looking boy, "That's Pike and that's…" he pointed to the guy next to Pike, "…Draco Malfoy."

The last person, Draco Malfoy, was also a familiar face. Ed recognized him as the blonde –almost white- haired boy he'd walked by the day before in Diagon Alley, the one who'd been with the older woman. When Blaise introduced Draco, the boy glanced over with a distant and somewhat moody look on his face. Ed met his gray eyes for a brief second before they nodded at one another, and then the fairer blonde turned away again, crossing his arms and staring off at nothing specific across the hall, apparently just as bored as Edward was.

Edward looked back to Blaise when the boy continued speaking to him,

"Strange for someone to come into school so late, usually every wizard and witch are registered to attend Hogwarts from the time they're born already, and we all start out as first years?" he said quietly, his tone implying it was a question.

Ed supposed he should have expected someone to ask, he actually expected more questions eventually,

"I'm not from London, I relocated here…" he said in a mildly conversational tone, "…I was homeschooled."

Blaise nodded slowly, glancing around at the others who were also listening and nodding,

"You're a yank, then?" Blaise asked.

Edward blinked at him, nonplussed. He had no idea what a fucking yank was and he tried to search his brain for a definition or a description that he might have come across, but he was certain that that word hadn't been in any of the books he'd read. So he raised an eyebrow in a wordless question and Blaise laughed quietly,

"American, mate, are you American?"

 _America_ , minus the 'n' rang a bell, he remembered seeing something like that on the map of the magic/muggle world, he remembered it because it'd read as the closest word to _Amestris_ that he'd been able to find. At least he knew what Blaise was asking about, wanting to know his country of origin. He was supposed to say that he was German, that's what he and Mustang had agreed on, but if Blaise –and everyone else- assumed he was from some other part of the world, and they obviously knew better than he did, he figured it was wiser to just go along with it…vaguely,

"Sure." he responded with a shrug.

Again, the teens all made with the nods of interest, and now Malfoy seemed to be listening as well, his head turned slightly in Ed's direction so he could follow the conversation.

Before Blaise could ask another question though, much to Ed's relief, the sorting ceremony ended and there was an eruption of applause from the other tables, hardly any from the Slytherin table, when the old white-bearded man announced that it was time to feast.

Then suddenly, literally out of nowhere, hundreds of bowls, trays, dishes and pitchers of food and beverages appeared on the table, on every table throughout the hall, and Edward removed his elbows quickly, giving the –literally- magically conjured food a suspicious glare. He was lucky that no one noticed his reaction though, because the hall had erupted in louder conversation and the sound of cutlery clinking as everyone in the hall tucked into the food with smiles.

He chanced a glance to the main table to see the Colonel selecting food for himself from the spread, and that was enough confirmation for Ed that the food was legit. If Mustang was eating it, it had to be okay, because the older man wouldn't eat anything he didn't trust, after all, no one valued the bastard's life more than Mustang did himself. So Edward, being really, _really_ fucking hungry, grabbed himself a generous helping of the various foods, enough that it rivaled the plates of Crabbe and Goyle's together.

That earned him some grins and shocked looks from the other Slytherin teens, but Ed was never shy about eating. Food was sustenance and sustenance fed the body and the brain what it needed to function, also, it helped that it all tasted really good too. Although, he avoided the pumpkin juice because it smelled weird, and since everyone else seemed to choose it over the orange juice, he ended up having an entire pitcher of OJ to himself.

* * *

When the eating died down about forty five minutes later, everyone being mostly done with the final course which had been dessert, the used dishes and clutter cleared away just as everything had appeared, and Edward could only think that it was quite a convenient little trick.

Yeah, magic and its energy was really _convenient_ , that was a good word for it.

There was murmuring in the crowds again then, and it drew Edward's attention away from his nearly finished dessert pie, to the front of the hall where he saw that the same student from earlier who'd brought the hat and stool out, was presently setting up a lectern with a golden ornamental owl built into it, standing it up at the center of the low dais. The unknown student then used a quick spell to light up all of the halfway burnt candles built into the podium, while the old white-bearded headmaster stood up and made his way around the dining table toward the lectern.

The same student then collected the hat and stool from where they had been moved near the teachers table and Ed watched him carry the offending thing away, the student heading along the center aisle of the hall to the exit. Ed's attention shifted quickly though, to two other students who were just entering, one of them a white-blonde, long haired girl and the other, a brunette boy with spectacles on his face, and Ed noticed that the latter of the pair was bleeding from his nose and lip.

He hiked his eyebrow up in vague interest, but then his attention was drawn back to the front to watch as the headmaster stepped up behind the moving podium, the previously inanimate owl now looking sleepy as it spread its wings out and settled that way, becoming a more decorative ornament than before. Edward nearly smiled in amused disbelief at seeing it, he was just taking all the weird shit in his stride as he went along, and some of it was pretty ridiculous.

Everyone fell quiet then when the old man started talking,

"Very best of evenings to you all." the headmaster greeted, glancing around the hall and making sure he had everyone's attention, "First off, let me introduce the newest member of our staff, Roy Mustang." he stated clearly and turned around to raise a hand, gesturing to Mustang where the colonel sat between Hagrid and the female teacher he'd come to Snape's class with that morning during the exam.

There was a round of applause for the colonel, but Edward didn't clap, because really, he wouldn't applaud Mustang, ever. Or well,

'… _maybe when he makes Fuhrer.'_ Ed thought as he glanced around the hall, noticing how only a few people at the Slytherin table were clapping mildly. Mustang didn't stand when he was addressed, which surprised Ed because he was such an arrogant bastard. But then he remembered they were lying low, and the colonel just raising his hand and giving a half wave of acknowledgment was as lame as it was inconspicuous.

One of the girls at the Slytherin table made a sound of approval and mumbled something about 'bloody handsome git', and Ed nearly rolled his eyes. The headmaster went on once everyone had settled again,

"Professor Mustang will be taking the position of potions master…" the old man's tone was pleasant, "…meanwhile, the post of Defense against the Dark Arts, will be taken by Professor Snape."

Before the sentence was completely out, the room erupted in questioning whispers and mutterings about Snape being the new DADA teacher, a lot of people sounded like they didn't like that decision at all. Not the Slytherin's though, they were collectively and enthusiastically applauding, they were really about the only ones applauding and smiling about the announcement. Edward hadn't been about to clap for Snape either, but when he saw the immediate group of people he'd been introduced to start clapping zealously for the professor, not wanting to look like the odd one out and inspire any extra questions, he added in a few of his own lazy claps. The students of Slytherin were going to be his peers after all, he figured he should at least try to fit in.

When the applause died down, the headmaster continued,

"As you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight, and you have the right to know why…" he said and Ed remembered that he'd also been searched the night before.

He frowned slightly then as he listened, his attention seized, as the headmaster went on to talk about some ex-student who used to attend the school, some guy named Tom Riddle. When he said the name everyone started to murmur and whisper again, something about the mentioning of that name made most of the students look worried or angry while the Slytherin's were smirking and glancing slyly at each other.

So yeah, there was definitely something questionable about the Slytherin's.

The headmaster kept talking, mentioning that the Tom Riddle guy was currently known by another name and then he talked about how dark forces were trying to get into the castle. Ed put two and two together pretty easily, remembering what he'd read in the newspaper back at The Leaky Cauldron, and he figured that the big bad you-know-who was probably the Tom Riddle guy, the very same guy who was trying to instigate the wizard war. Ed was sitting pretty far from the front, but he and Mustang still managed to exchange a quick look, confirming that they were on the same page and had drawn the same conclusions.

When the headmaster stated that the school's greatest weapon was the students, Ed couldn't help frowning because seriously, who put that kind of responsibility on a bunch of teenagers? He recalled all too vividly the serious and dangerous stuff he'd been doing when he was twelve years old and even younger, but when he glanced around at the vacant expressions on most of the students faces to see if he should reevaluate their worth…ultimately his opinion didn't change, most of them were likely useless.

Glancing around, his gaze passed over the boy with the bloody nose, who looked pretty upset and super serious about the whole thing, and Ed noticed that he was sitting directly opposite the girl who'd been staring at him earlier, and she also looked serious and somber about the situation the headmaster was talking about.

"Now off to bed. Pip pip." the headmaster finished his foreboding speech in a rather chipper manner, and Edward blinked back to attention at the eruption of noise that followed when all of the students throughout the hall started to get up and file out, all chattering about different things, several of them still casting glances at him.

"Come on, mate." Ed felt a tap on his arm and he glanced to the side to see Blaise standing up along with the rest of the 'group'. He realized he'd guessed right at that point, that he'd somehow been wordlessly accepted amongst the people Blaise had introduced him to, and Ed stood up and stepped out of his seat without hesitation. He supposed it wasn't so bad to have been so easily integrated, at least now he wouldn't have to go through the trouble of actively _making friends_. Because seriously, what would that even look like?

He fell into step along with all of the Slytherin students filing out, and Ed vaguely noted that Blaise walked beside him once they were properly outside of the Great Hall, the throngs of students collectively walking through the halls toward the staircases. And the staircases _moved_ , like, _all on their own_ , so yeah, that was just bullshit because it was really confusing and would likely be a pain in the ass at some point. For the moment though, Ed just kept up with the march of Slytherin's, trusting that following them would take him where he needed to go. He noticed that all of the houses students went in different directions on the stairs, the Slytherin's for one, all headed downward.

He glanced back, looking up and over the heads of the many Slytherin students walking behind him, to see which way the other houses students would go, partially out of boredom and partially in case he ever got lost at any point. He couldn't see much though since he'd descended too far, so he focused ahead of himself again, and as they all walked it became much quieter since the crowd had thinned out to just the Slytherin's. And when they'd left off from the stairs, they continued to walk down several corridors and Ed did his best to remember the directions they were taking to get to the Slytherin dorms.

When they finally reached the dungeons –it was literally called that-, the conversations of the immediate group Ed was walking with picked up from being one or two people randomly murmuring to a proper discussion. It was Pansy who shattered the hushed conversation, her voice carrying over the scuffing of shoes echoing in the large dully lit corridor. She snickered as she pushed her hair over her shoulder, bumping lightly against Malfoy, who was walking just ahead of Ed, when she spoke,

"Did you see Potter's face?" she glanced around and back to get everyone in the immediate group's attention, catching all their eyes for a second, even Ed's, before she looked at Malfoy again "Looks like someone gave him a good shutting up."

This caused an all-round sound of approval, Malfoy in particular looked pleased, smirking and making his sharp features look devious and snide as he did so.

"Bloody right," Blaise piped up from a foot away beside Ed, "Could have happened a bit sooner if you ask me."

"Wish it could have been me who'd done it, woulda' been worse." the shorter fat one of the two, Crabbe, offered that opinion, and Ed glanced back to look at him, receiving a grin from the boy.

By that point Edward knew who the 'Potter' person they were referring to was. Aside from recognizing the name from the newspaper, it was definitely the kid who'd walked into the Great Hall late and with a bloody nose earlier. Apparently he was the target of malicious contempt and dislike for the Slytherin's, and possibly even a primary undesirable of the warmongers, a piece of information that Ed found mentally noteworthy.

"What do you think Edward, did you see Potter's face?" Blaise, who was noticeably taller than Ed, Pike, Malfoy, Crabbe and Pansy, elbowed him lightly and looked around at everyone else, "Think ya' could've done a better job of it?"

"Ed…" he corrected, "…don't call me Edward." and glanced at everyone who was staring at him, and it was something about the fact that he'd said it so curt and stiffly that made them all look at him, though not in a bad way, rather as if they were taking full notice of him now…maybe even liked his aggressive tone.

Odd, he hadn't realized he felt so irritable at all, where was that coming from?

"And yes…" he picked up from the question Blaise had asked, glancing at the dark skinned boy with a lazy expression, "…his nose wasn't broken, just bleeding, I would have broken it." he said off handedly and unthinkingly, and was marginally surprised by the woots he got for his answer, but was entirely disturbed by his own response. Why the hell had he said that?

Apparently he was encouraging this? He swallowed down the feeling of self-shock and quickly shrugged it off, reasoning mentally that a good beating oftentimes set a lot of people right, it had worked on him more than once, so who was he to discriminate? Especially since he didn't know the Potter kid yet, maybe he was an asshole or something...

Malfoy 'hmphed' out of the blue then and everyone looked at him,

"I **did** break it, but the bastard probably fixed it." he said in a nasty clipped tone, gesturing to his face with a swiveling hand motion, probably imitating a wand movement before he stuck his hands back into his pockets.

"It was **you**!" Pansy exclaimed in a gushing way, latching onto Malfoy's arm.

Following that was a chorus of approval from everyone just moments before they all slowed walking, and Ed looked ahead to see that the front of the Slytherin house group had stopped at a large stone wall set into the outer stone corridor. Someone announced what was probably a password, and Ed made note of it for future reference and when the wall opened up, the crowd started moving again, filing inside.

They entered into a large room filled with furniture; tables, couches, chairs, cabinets, book shelves etcetera, and it was as gloomy inside as the outside corridor had been, except that the furnishings were fancy and the lighting was green and white, casting an almost sinister glow over the room. Edward honestly liked the dark, regal layout and appearance, it suited his own less than contemporary tastes. He looked around as he walked further in, seeing that the overall décor; pillars with ornamental snakes coiling round them, wall hangings with snakes on them, carpets, lighting and even the walls and ceiling and windows were all equally dark, elaborate and distinguished. The most noticeable thing that Ed liked though, was that because the dorms were near underground, it was warmer than the rest of the castle, which was good for his left leg.

Most of the students headed through the large room toward two staircases in the far back, boys going one way and females the other, and Ed assumed the stairs led to the separate sleeping rooms. Several of the first years lingered, looking around at everything new to them, and while Ed himself wouldn't have stuck around, because novelty fascination and gawking had never been his thing, when the group he'd become a part of remained behind, moving over to where there was a large lit fireplace and a few sofas, Ed took a moment to consider isolation or further assimilation, and he decided the latter was wiser.

As he walked over with them to the fireplace, he continued looking around, noting that the room they were in was a communal area, that much was obvious. It was similar to the military's rec rooms, not in appearance, but in the sense of its purpose and function, meant to be a space for the students to spend their co-ed downtime together, and also like the military, when it came to sleeping quarters, the males and females bunked separately. It wasn't unfamiliar to Ed in that way, nothing he hadn't put up with before, the biggest differences were that the company was far younger and the beds were probably more comfortable.

The group settled into the black leather sofas that were set out in front of the large stone fireplace, the couches had all been unoccupied and so there was room for everyone to sit down. Pansy sat very close to Malfoy, demanding to know when the moody teen had had the chance to punch Potter. Millicent settled in between two skinny and stern faced female twins that Ed had yet to be introduced to. Blaise sat himself down with a self-satisfied grin on his face and he threw his arms over the back of the couch, behind the heads of Goyle and another unintroduced dark haired skinny and solitary looking boy. Crabbe sat on a chair he'd pulled over from a nearby dark wooden round table and Pike filled in the spot on the other side of Pansy, which everyone else had seemed to avoid sitting in.

There were other seats still available, but Edward opted to remain standing up, having been sitting all day already, and also he preferred to keep some distance, and so he took the time to look around the room some more as he walked slowly around the set of couches while paying half of his attention to their conversation.

Malfoy was telling Pansy it didn't matter when exactly he'd punched Potter, only that he did.

Edward came to a stop behind the sofa that Blaise, Goyle and the other boy was sitting on, standing at the sofa table there because his attention had fallen on an atlas globe set atop it, a globe with an unusual dark surface on which the map of that world was engraved in gold lines. Edward slipped one gloved hand out of his pocket and pressed his fingers to it, pushing it lightly so that it spun slowly, continents, countries and oceans he'd never known of before printed on it. It was still fascinating…

He forgot about the group for the moment and searched the map for Europe, and then London, which he'd known the location of before, and then he searched for America because that was where Blaise had asked if he was from. When he found it he noted that it was on an entirely separate continent, across a vast ocean, so far away. Why would Blaise assume he was from there anyway…was it the way he looked? Maybe an accent?

"…Ed, hey, Ed, mate?" he blinked and raised his head when he realized someone was trying to get his attention and he set his eyes on Blaise, the source of the voice, "Flora here was just saying that she doesn't recognize your last name," Blaise gestured to one of the twins and Ed cut his gaze to her, making her blink and look away, "you're a pure blood right? The hat said so," Blaise went on, "ancient bloodline and all that, but none of us av' eard' of your last name?"

Edward slid his eyes away from Blaise then and glanced over everyone else, seeing that they were all watching him closely…and it was then that he became aware of how irritable he actually was, still for no reason that he could understand though. He dismissed the strange feeling and focused on the group of teens looking at him, knowing that they were expecting an answer because that sort of nonsense mattered to them, he also remembered reading that the Slytherin house was founded by a pure blood wizard and consisted almost completely of pure bloods even to that day.

He took a few seconds to consider his options for answering, standing up straight and sliding his hand back into his pocket as he recalled what the hat had said. And based on that, despite not wanting to acknowledge the damn talking piece of clothing, Ed decided to take a chance on his actual ancient heritage, because the hat –as Blaise pointed out- seemed to think him fit for Slytherin house after digging around in his history, and there was only one ancient link he could think of that made any sense.

So he adapted that to an explanation,

"Because Elric is not my real last name." and he felt sick just telling that lie, but he refused to give anyone more reason to ask questions by saying it was his mother's name. Immediately every one of the teens looked interested, and Ed recalled some of Mustang's imparted advice then; the Colonel had always said that lies closest to the truth were safest, so long as it was kept simple and straight. Ed knew he could manage that, so he followed through, "After my parents died I started using it," he lied again, "but my actual last name is Hohenheim." and that was at least only a partial lie.

There was an exchange of glances and frowns and then Malfoy spoke up,

"Hohenheim, that's not American is it?" he glanced from Ed to everyone else. Edward clenched his jaw and made the effort to keep his expression neutral, even though he was not sure what to say to that…but he was saved from saying anything when Pansy spoke,

"It sounds European…is it Dutch?" she frowned and looked at Ed, who was spared from answering yet again,

"No, it's German, there's a place in Germany with a name like that." one of the twins said.

Malfoy raised a fine blonde eyebrow then and looked at Ed again, while seemingly unconsciously leaning away from Pansy who was still crowding him against the armrest,

"So, you're originally German then?" he asked.

Edward shrugged, accepting what they were saying because he didn't know any better about their world, but he did think it was awfully coincidental that Hohenheim was _actually_ a German name, especially since Ed had intended to say he was from Germany just _because_ , for no actual reason whatsoever.

"I still don't recognize the name." Goyle added.

"Oi, what do you know Goyle? You can't tell your arse from your face half the time." Blaise said with a laugh and everyone either snickered or grinned at the insulted large boy, who had no come back and just made a face, looking at Blaise with a weak glare.

And then the yet unknown, thin, dark haired boy sighed audibly and everyone looked at him,

"It _is_ German, and if the hat says Ed has ancient blood then he must be from the Paracelsus heritage." the boy informed everyone, sounding exasperated with them. He glanced at Edward then and raised a questioning eyebrow, as if to say 'right?'.

But before Ed could say anything –though he had no _idea_ who the fuck Paracelsus was-, Blaise piped up,

"Who the bloody hell is Paracelsus, Nott?" he smiled in confusion.

Nott, as Edward would now recognize him, rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his untidy black hair,

"Paracelsus Von Hohenheim." and Ed was stunned by that answer and his apparently -and unsettlingly- legit sounding heritage. When no one seemed to understand what he was on about, Nott sighed again and added in a bored tone, "He was an alchemist."

Edward's heart skipped a beat then, because **holy shit** , Hohenheim's heritage really was connected to that world too? But that wasn't possible, was it? What kind of bastard-...

He cut off his scathing thoughts of his lying bastard father when Nott looked at him again, followed by everyone else, and Ed glanced from one curious face to the next, eyebrows slightly raised.

Blaise grinned at him,

"Is that true? Are you an alchemist, mate?" he asked, sounding disbelieving and amused.

Edward would have said 'no' under any other circumstances, because he and Mustang had agreed not to reveal themselves as such to anyone, but when he thought of how that world perceived alchemy in their pathetic excuse for alchemic textbooks, he felt there would be no danger in answering truthfully,  
"Yeah." he shrugged again, and pulled a hand out of his pocket to scratch his cheek with his gloved fingers, wondering just how much of a bitch fit Mustang would have when he told him.

There was a murmur and nods of interest before Crabbe laughed and gestured at Nott,

"He's starting ta' sound like mudblood Granger, id'nee? Knowing all that stuff wot's not important." he continued to laugh and a few others laughed too. Nott just gave him a dirty, but mostly dismissive look.

Edward didn't know what a mudblood was, but he guessed Granger was a name, and much like Potter, this Granger person was also disliked amongst the Slytherin teens.

"It's interesting though," Pansy said after a moment, a sly smile on her face as she sat back and crossed her legs, adjusting her skirt so that it sat on her knees, "alchemists can _supposedly_ make gold out of lead, right Ed?" she asked, looking at him shrewdly.

"Aw, not you too Pans!" Goyle said to her offering of knowledge, and Malfoy smirked, apparently amused.

Edward gave them all a bored look, knowing that that was the extent of the alchemic knowledge in the magic world. Gold making and the 'elixir of life' - which he'd known was meant to refer to immortality- was all that their textbooks had mentioned. Pathetic and inaccurate nonsense overall.

Edward had initially been worried about the mentioned 'elixir of life', because to him, it translated as the same thing as what a Philosophers Stone was in his world. But when he'd actually read about the stone's meaning in the magic world, he quickly realized it wasn't nearly the same thing, and neither was the Flamel. It had been both relieving and insulting to learn about alchemy there, that the stone in the magic world didn't provide immortality and indestructability as it had to the Homunculi, making them grossly stronger and versatile in skill and monstrous in their ability to regenerate and destroy.

In the magic world, it was little more than a prolonger of sorts for human life. A slow, really slow, life prolonging…stone. Yes, that was it. In other words, not dangerous or made with human life to fuel it, it was just a weak, super fake stone that was created with _magic_.

"Ed?" Pansy said in an almost whine and he blinked out of his thoughts again.

"Mate, can you make gold or wot'?" Blaise asked, looking intrigued.

Realizing he'd been asked that question probably more than once while he'd been zoned out, Ed ran a hand through his bangs and then rubbed at the side of his neck when he answered,

"Yeah." he said honestly, thinking it was best to get rid of their shallow curiosity as soon as possible.

"Not much of a talker, is he?" Crabbe muttered with a smirk, but when Ed looked at him sharply, the boy's smirk disappeared and he looked away.

It was the same reaction that the twin had had when he'd looked at her, and so Ed could only assume that he probably looked really pissed off or something, because people usually only flinched away from him back home when he was really angry.

"The handsome, brooding, silent type…" Pansy said in a low tone and glanced at the other girls present, "…can't say that I mind." she added and then laughed in a creepily sultry manner as she looked Ed up and down, the other girls smiling and looking at him as well. Malfoy rolled his eyes and sat forward then,

"Well come on, give us a show then, make some gold." he said as he rested his elbows on his knees and smirked.

Edward raised an eyebrow and he looked directly at Malfoy for the first time since the feast. The teen's smirk faltered but he didn't look away and that action told Ed that Malfoy was probably one of the 'leaders' in Slytherin, not the best of leaders, but he was certainly more confident than the rest of his group. Well, except for Blaise, who seemed immune to everyone's brooding and moodiness from what Ed had witnessed so far.

Ed considered saying no to giving a demonstration, but then he noticed that now that they thought he had an ancient alchemical heritage, which was tied into the wizarding world, they no longer seemed interested in questioning whether he was pure blood or whatever, which was a good thing. So…to tie it all up nicely, he figured he should probably give them a little show as a finale, a clincher of sorts.

He walked away from the table then and around the sofa, through an open space between the couches and he stopped there, sliding his hands out of his pockets,

"Alright, fine, if it'll shut you all up." he said with an exasperated tone not unlike Nott's and glanced at the lot of them. Blaise grinned, Pansy smiled, Malfoy raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down once and everyone else just snorted quietly or avoided his gaze. Taking their responses as a 'yes' to them all shutting up, Ed asked, "So does anyone happen to have any lead just lying around?" in a plainly sarcastic tone.

Everyone looked momentarily stumped, because _of course_ none of them had any of the toxic heavy metal on their person just by happenstance, the morons. He sighed and half rolled his eyes, knowing they likely had no idea that turning lead into gold didn't even work the way that they believed it did. It didn't matter one way or another though, using their very own magic, he'd make them believe they had it all figured out.

"Fine, galleons then, I'll turn gold to lead, it's the same thing." he suggested and looked at them all expectantly.

The teens all looked a bit worried about that suggestion, and Malfoy, the only one who didn't, glanced at all of them and scowled,

"What the hell? Hanging on to your money as if you're all a bunch of poor Weasley's," he said derisively, "useless bloody gits…" and he leaned back then, pushing his robe aside and shoving his hand into his pants pocket, bringing it back out a moment later and turning it palm up, three shiny galleon coins set in his palm, "…here, Elric, entertain these fools." he quipped, looking irritable as he leaned forward and dropped the coins onto the table set at the center of the couches. He sat back then and shot every one of his friends one final disapproving look before he looked at Ed expectantly.

With an amused smirk sliding onto his face, one that Malfoy noticed and returned very subtly, Ed stepped up closer to the table and crouched down where everyone could see him. He hadn't read anything about wands in the alchemy books he'd come across, so he figured he shouldn't need to use it for his demonstration.

He decided also that he'd do it the less flashy, good old fashioned way, and so Ed shifted onto his knees at the side of the table and looked at one of the twins,

"Hey, twin," and she looked surprised that he was addressing her, "pass me the ink and some paper." he pointed to the small glass inkwell which had a quill in it where it sat at the edge of the table, and then to the notebook she held. She hesitated, but when everyone gave her expectant looks she did as asked and handed Ed the inkwell first before tearing out a piece of paper from her book and sliding it across the table.

When Ed had the paper and the ink, he picked up the quill –which he still loathed-, and with expert, practiced ease he drew a perfect circle on the page. Someone mumbled a comment on it, saying ' _how'd he do that_ ', and then they all fell silent as he drew out the rest of the relatively simple transmutation circle to break down and reform the compounds of gold into lead and then back again. He didn't make it too detailed though, because he intended to use magic to fill in what was missing, considering the gold to lead ratio would need to be tampered with in order to produce a result he thought would satisfy the Slytherin teens.

When he was done drawing, he reached for the galleons and placed them in the center of the circle. Ed glanced around then, seeing that he had everyone's rapt attention, before he placed just one hand over the circle, fingers splayed out above the gold in the center.

He activated the circle without touching it and when it lit up with purple-red energy, though Edward managed to keep the surge and crackle down to a faint glow, there were several gasps as the teens leaned away. And then just as they'd all wanted, Ed transmuted the gold coins, deconstructing and reconstructing them again until they were three larger and featureless lead coins.

When the light died down and Edward removed his hand, he looked around at all of their wide, interested eyes, seeing that even a few of the other Slytherin's that had been hanging around the common room were now standing and watching, looking amazed, impressed and interested.

Blaise was the first person to pipe up,

"Well that's just bloody nifty, id'nit!" he was grinning, sitting forward and looking at the coins.

"Make it gold again, Ed, go on." Pansy was smiling at him, sitting forward as well.

So he did, following the exact same procedure and returning the galleons to their previous form, before he stood up, pulling the array sheet out from under the coins, folding it quickly and then stuffing it in his pocket to destroy later.

He wasn't leaving even a stitch of alchemic evidence lying around.

Malfoy leaned forward then and picked up one of the coins to look at it closely, and his eyebrows rose after a moment, his expression sliding into approval –as if Ed needed it- when he saw that the coin was exactly as it had been before. Goyle picked up the other two coins to inspect them, which earned him an annoyed and expectant look from Malfoy, who held out his hand for his galleons to be returned to him.

Pansy was smiling slyly again, ignoring the two boys as she stood up, walking up to stand near Ed, who just looked at the shorter girl with an indifferent expression,

"I'll bet you make gold all the time, don't you, Ed…handy, that is." she said quietly, giggling and glancing around at all the other Slytherin's listening and watching.

At that point Edward smirked at her and said in an intentionally ambiguous tone,

"Of course I don't, it's illegal."

Everyone's reaction to his misleading tone was of approval, some snickering and others offering friendly sarcasm of ' _yeah sure you don't_ ' and ' _ **right**_ _, it's illegal_ '.

Pansy gave him a broad grin, liking his answer just as much, and she patted his chest as she stepped past him,

"Welcome to Slytherin, Ed, glad to have you." she said quietly and then walked away.

He didn't glance after her -and didn't roll his eyes at how gullible and easy to play the Slytherin's were-, instead he just watched neutrally as everyone began getting up, someone commenting on getting up early in the morning because of classes. Ed found he quite agreed with that, remembering he actually had to attend _school classes_ – _why_ was this his life?-, and he turned, hands back in his pockets, to follow the rest of the boys to the correct staircase.

He was walking with the group when Blaise grabbed his shoulders from behind and gave him a mild shake,

"That's a slick skill you have there, Ed. Being able to make gold probably makes you popular with girls, hm?" he asked in a typical girl chasing tone of voice, not unlike most of the male soldiers Ed knew, except his words were far less vulgar.

Malfoy, who was just behind them, scoffed,

"One track mind, Zambini." he mumbled and Blaise slipped ahead of them both quickly as they arrived at the staircase, the tall boy walking sideways down the steps so that he could look at them as they all descended,

"Not all of us have Pansy Parkinson hanging all over us all day, Draco." he commented, sounding more amused than envious.

By that point the girls were not with them, far out of earshot and so all of the boys snickered and Malfoy frowned and made a face at them,

"Shut it you lot," he glared at everyone who was snickering and then at Blaise, "I've told you before, Blaise, you can have her if you want…bloody bother she is." he sounded exasperated, and rather sincere about it too.

Edward didn't comment but he was smiling, amused, because he knew that girls were pretty exhausting and they nagged a lot, and he knew that without even thinking of them in the same context that Blaise and Malfoy were.

Blaise rolled his eyes,

"Oh, right, but only when it suits you, other times you quite like the attention, don' ya'?" he quipped.

"She can be…useful…" Malfoy answered and Ed glanced back to see that he was smirking, bobbing one eyebrow suggestively before he added, "…if you know what I mean."

The guys descending the stairs all made uncouth noises at that statement, the nearer ones patting and nudging Malfoy's shoulders in approval of his lewd implication and Ed just shook his head, amused by the familiar way guys tended to talk about girls.

The innuendos were PG when compared to the tales he'd heard in the military barracks, but the idea was the same. Boys would apparently, be boys, just as he'd heard Pinako say in various contexts throughout his life.

He glanced around at the teasing, smiling teens then, and his first thought was that on the whole, despite not knowing them well enough yet, Ed could honestly say they didn't seem like evil plotting, darkly dreaming bastards. Sure they had nasty things to say about other kids and were probably likely to be the bullying sort, but that didn't seem like a big deal, that was just life.

Edward wouldn't ever 'bully' anyone who couldn't rise to the challenge, because he just wasn't like that, but he did believe that everyone should know how to stand up for themselves.

He wasn't naïve though, he knew that what he was seeing and experiencing right then may well just be the tip of the iceberg of the Slytherin's, he wasn't a fool, and he wouldn't just believe that anyone he barely knew was beyond the capability to do bad deeds. He'd just make sure to stay on his toes at all times.

As they continued descending, eventually the group of boys thinned out as people broke off from the stairs and went into different doors, probably to their respective rooms.

Edward realized then that he didn't know where he was sleeping, that he didn't know which specific room he was in and he stopped walking mid-step, forcing Malfoy, Nott and Crabbe to go around to pass him. Blaise noticed he'd stopped and he glanced back, and so did the other three, but while Nott stopped, Malfoy and Crabbe carried on walking.

"Whatsit, mate?" Blaise asked.

Edward glanced back up the stairs,

"I don't know where my dorm is." he sighed and scratched at his bangs irritably.

Blaise laughed and clapped Nott on the shoulder, pushing him to keep walking,

"I've got ya', mate, come on, there's a free bed in our dorm." he said with a smile and gestured with his head for Ed to follow when the two taller boys started walking again.

Raising his eyebrows and not really knowing how the whole dorm thing even worked at Hogwarts, Ed followed them, scuffing his boots on the steps and wondering if Snape's words that his luggage would be in _his_ dorm would leave him looking for his belongings in the morning…

…however, as it turned out, Hogwarts really was magical.

He discovered that when he walked into the dorm room behind Blaise and Nott and looked around. There were six, four poster beds spread out evenly in the large rectangular dark, green, black, white and gray stone furnished room. The bed in the farthest right corner was occupied by Malfoy, who was taking off his long uniform robe, and next to him was Crabbe at another bed, also removing his robe. Then there was another bed which Nott walked over to, but it skipped one, leaving a free bed between Crabbe and Nott's beds.

Edward glanced at Blaise on the left side of the room where he'd walked to his bed in the corner.

The tall teen turned to face Ed and raised his arms to gesture to the large room,

"Not too shabby, eh?" Blaise asked with a grin.

And Ed bobbed his eyebrows in agreement, because it really wasn't too bad. Aside from being windowless and dim, it was comfortable, clean and warm, would offer some privacy due to the rich dark green bed curtains and it was spacious and quiet.

"That would be you, Ed." Blaise said then, gesturing to the only other bed on the left side of the room, since the other four were all on the right side, and then he started to pull his robe off as well. Ed glanced over to the bed Blaise had pointed out and he found that he was actually relieved that he wouldn't have to take the bed between Crabbe and Nott on the right side, at least the one he would sleep in was nearest to the door, which was perfect.

And true to Snape's word, when he walked up to the bed Ed was amused and amazed to find that his shrunken suitcase was set on the floor beside the neatly made bed, as if the staff or the…castle, or whatever had just known he'd be sleeping there. Also, folded and set out neatly just below his pillows was a crisp, new Slytherin uniform. And as he looked through the folded garments he saw that it consisted of a charcoal grey pullover jersey, a crisp white shirt, a green and silver striped neck tie, a pair of black wool winter gloves, a green and silver neck scarf and a long black robe with a dark green inner lining, the robe bearing a Slytherin house emblem sewed over the left breast area.

"Huh." Ed said quietly as he gave everything another look over, noting that the green and white bedding matched with the dark wood nightstand, drawers and bed posts, and even the friggen' pillows looked fluffy…hell, it was better than some inns he'd stayed in during his life and it was _way_ better than the military barracks. It was really nice, great actually, nothing like he would have expected and he was more than ready to crash for the night.

So after taking his wand out, Ed removed his robe and tossed it at the foot of the bed before he pointed the wand at his case and wordlessly returned it to its original size, then he dropped the wand on the bed and crouched down to open his trunk.

Edward had tuned everyone in the room out until someone addressed him specifically,

"Did you just use a non-verbal spell?" it sounded like Crabbe.

Edward glanced behind himself, balancing his hands on his trunk as he looked at the other boys in the room who were all staring at him. He cocked an eyebrow,

"Yeah, what of it?" he asked irritably, not in the mood right then for twenty questions.

He'd had a really long fucking day.

Malfoy snorted, shooting an amused look at Crabbe before he got into his bed, having changed into black pajamas, and he dropped the heavy curtain closed. Nott also just went quietly to bed after Ed's brush off, having also changed, and he closed his curtains off too. Crabbe didn't hold Ed's glare, shrugging and turning away quickly to fiddle with his own belongings.

Edward just shook his head and popped his trunk, going back to what he'd been doing. He didn't have much in the way of every day casual clothes, nothing besides the clothes he'd come from Amestris with and the few new shirts and slacks he'd purchased. But before he'd left the Leaky Cauldron, Edward had used two of his three standard black robes and transmuted a pair of loose sleeping pants, a black long sleeve shirt and two pairs of boxer shorts out of it and even managed a spare pair of long socks. He knew he'd probably have to buy more robes when he could and transmute some other clothes, since the robes were fine thick cotton and they made good clothing fabric, and if he needed he could even thin it out to make it go a longer way, but he'd have to wait until Mustang was paid, because he didn't have much gold left. And contrary to what he told Pansy, he _didn't_ make gold illegally.

After he pulled the sleeping shirt and pants out, tossed them on the bed and had closed his trunk, Edward's thoughts drifted to Mustang as he moved his new uniform clothes to sit on top of his trunk, and he wondered for the hundredth time how the man was coping with everything. Because what had been meant to be a simple undercover –get their asses home fast- mission was turning out to be interesting and complex. There was so much going on and so many dynamic and new things to learn and see, and it was really intriguing.

Edward sat down on his bed still wearing his button down shirt and black slacks and he started to unbuckle his boots, slipping his feet out of them when he was done. He kept his socks on, to conceal his automail just in case, and then lifted his legs onto his bed and dropped his curtains closed.

Only then, when he had the privacy that the curtain provided, did Ed remove his shirt and pants, keeping his socks on to conceal his left foot, and then he pulled the loose cotton pants on over his white boxers followed by his sleeping shirt. He lazily folded –not very tidily- his removed clothing and set them at the bottom of the bed with his robe and wand, and then he laid back and stretched out, exhaling quietly and closing his eyes.

He was exhausted, mentally and physically…and he felt like he could use a hot shower, also, he was hungry again…

That train of thought raised some questions, so Edward reopened his tired golden eyes and stared up at the canopy of the bed and he rubbed a hand over his face, before speaking audibly,

"Hey, Blaise." he used the other teen's name for the first time.

"Yeah?" came the reply a second later.

"Where's the bathrooms and showers?" he asked, needing to know for the morning.

"At the bottom level of the stairs, mate…and breakfast is from 7.30 to 8.30." Blaise added, sounding amused, but still being helpful.

Edward smirked, wondering if his meal scarfing talents had left such an impression on his peers already that they'd know to tell him where to find food,

"Thanks." he said back and then propped his arms behind his head and closed his eyes again.

Yeah, Slytherin wasn't so bad.

* * *

Next Chapter: Ed begins classes, the trio chats and Severus' POV!

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	7. Septem

**A/n:** **\- This is not beta-read, apologies for any mistakes**

 **\- Please read tags on AO3**

 **\- I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and is following this story, your readership and support is appreciated! :)**

* * *

 **The pieces are only as good as the whole**

* * *

"Good evening, Severus." Dumbledore raised his head as he greeted Severus from where he sat behind his desk as the professor entered his office and approached, stepping lightly across the floor and up the steps to the desk, where he stopped a few feet away, his chin held up slightly and his expression as solemn as usual.

"Headmaster." he returned the greeting evenly, folding his arms over his chest as he glanced around the office.

Dumbledore had been reading from a large, aged tome, but he placed the bound silk bookmark along the center of the open pages and then closed the book with a soft thud before giving the DADA professor his full attention,

"I had thought you wouldn't make it to see me this evening, after all, your day has been quite busy and I'm sure, somewhat trying as well." Albus said in a mildly serious voice, while still managing to sound marginally amused.

Severus slid his eyes back to look at the old wizard again,

"I'd rather we got whatever needs discussing…out of the way." he stated plainly.

Dumbledore regarded him for a moment, expression open and yet inscrutable, and Severus just waited quietly for the older man to go on with whatever he needed to say. He'd asked Severus to come and see him at the end of the evening, once all of the students were back in their dorms so that they could discuss their newest additions to Hogwarts.

After a few beats of silent staring, Dumbledore nodded once and leaned back in his chair,

"Very well, so is it as everyone is saying?" he asked with more obvious amusement and interest, "Is young Edward Elric, in fact, a genius?"

Severus refrained from answering that question with a straight 'yes', even though from what he'd seen and been impressed by, the boy did seem to have an incredible skill set and an outstanding mind.

But praise was not something he doled out casually, so instead he said,

"It would seem so, headmaster."

There was another pause as Dumbledore's expression slowly became serious again, he reclined in his high back chair and regarded Severus seriously,

"After hearing what the sorting hat had to say to go along with young Edward's obviously brilliant aptitude as a wizard…" he glanced at the hat up on a high wall mantle where it remained stationary, "…do you think he is to be considered a danger to the students, do you think he may be one of Voldemort's?" Albus asked very quietly, his calm voice weathered and scratchy.

Severus wanted to say no, because he…and he couldn't believe he was even thinking it, he _liked_ Edward Elric. The boy was not only brilliant but he was also mature somehow. There was a worldly oldness about him, in his demeanor, in his expressions and especially in his eyes, he was older in mind than he was in body. But all of those very same things were also reasons to be concerned.

If Edward was aligned with Voldemort though, Severus would like to think he would know about it.

"I can't say for sure, but if he is, then I will know soon enough." he said honestly, because if Elric was a Death Eater or a potential one, he'd be informed of it.

Dumbledore gave him a long thoughtful look and then asked,

"But what do **you** think, Severus?"

Severus knew the older man trusted him and that's why he was asking, Albus trusted his judgments and opinions, so he gave it honestly,

"He may very well be, he has…talents…that even I have never come across before."

There was another silence between them then, Dumbledore obviously absorbing this information before he spoke,

"I trust you will do what is needed, then." he said vaguely, meaning he knew Severus would observe, monitor and report back to him on Edward regularly. Severus gave a barely there nod, turned away slightly and then paused before asking a question of his own,

"And the new professor?" he gave Dumbledore a sidelong look, "What of him?"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows as if he'd been reminded of something he'd completely forgotten about,

"Ah yes, Roy Mustang." he nodded slightly, "I must say, that while he does seem to be hiding something, most likely something about his origins," Albus did something like a facial shrug and Severus blinked at his casual attitude about the new foreign professor, "for the most part, I sense he is not a danger to any of us at the school." he said plainly. "But, of course, I will be watching him, because we must treat everyone unfamiliar with a certain amount of suspicion in precarious times like these." he looked at Severus over the top of his half-moon glasses then, his blue eyes always holding a modicum of humor no matter how dire the situation.

Severus just nodded again and then turned to leave, business decidedly concluded.

But then Dumbledore spoke up again when he was halfway to the exit,

"And what of our enemy, Severus, any new developments?"

Severus stopped walking, immediately thinking, with an inward grimace, about what had taken place between himself and Narcissa Malfoy just recently…of the unbreakable vow he'd made to her, swearing to protect Draco Malfoy. And also…to do whatever might need to be done if Draco could not complete the task set for him, which Severus suspected would in fact be the case, because Draco was a spectacular idiot at the best of times, and the reality of the inevitable outcome made a cold weight settle in his stomach.

It had been a foolish thing for him to do with Narcissa, but it had been necessary because Bellatrix had been waiting keenly for him to slip up, and she'd pounce on anything that would reveal that he might not be loyal to Voldemort. The woman was certifiable after all, it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge.

Really, his situation was far from ideal at the moment and it could, or would rather, go very wrong at some point in the near future. But Dumbledore did not need to know about it yet, if at all. Severus would handle Draco for the time being, and he would try to contain the situation as best he could until the time came when he was out of options…or that Albus absolutely had to know.

Deciding that, he shook his head just once stiffly,

"No, nothing at this time." he said calmly, while inside he was tense and worried, and then he left the office, his robes sweeping behind him in waves.

* * *

The following morning, the first day of school, Hermione had gotten up early and readied herself for the day ahead. Presently she was walking quickly down the stairs from the Gryffindor dorms, books required for her first class in hand, pausing with a huff of irritation when she had to wait for one of the moving staircases to stop before she made her way down again.

She reached the Great Hall a few minutes later and swept into the room with her usual air of academic determination -which made a few students roll their eyes at her as she passed-, and she glanced around the hall at the late breakfast crowd. Hermione herself had been up much earlier, had eaten and then had gone back to her dorm room to double check her syllabus and organize her books for the day. She'd known that she wouldn't have seen Ron and Harry that early in the morning though, the lazy duo that they were, hence the reason she was making a second trip to the Great Hall where she expected she would find them that time.

She might have not bothered, knowing she'd see them in first period, but she'd heard something interesting at breakfast that morning and she wanted to share it with them.

Her eyes fell on Harry first as she walked down the center aisle, the teens hair stood out, looking as though it hadn't been brushed in ages –as usual-, and then she spotted Ginny next to him. Hermione just shook her head with a small smile, honestly, the girl was more than a bit obvious about her crush on Harry.

Hermione was just a few steps away when she looked at Ron sitting across from Harry and Ginny…and eating –always eating-, as blissfully unaware of the crush his sister had on his best friend as Harry himself was. She nearly rolled her eyes at the situation, but when they all looked at her she refrained, slowing to a stop before stepping into a seat beside Ginny and sitting down.

Hermione leaned forward as she set the notebook and textbook she'd been carrying down, placing her forearms folded on them as she looked over her friends with an ' _I have something interesting to tell you_ ' expression that made them all, predictably, lean in as well. Well, except for Ron, who had awful posture and was already hunched forward.

"Have you heard about the new Slytherin student?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice even though there wasn't anyone sitting very close to them. Ron's eyebrows drew together in comical disbelief,

"Heard something, bloody hell, it hasn't even been twelve hours…" he shook his head and she looked at his puzzled expression, "…how do girls gossip so _fast_?" he shook his head, "It's not human, really it isn't…" he added disbelievingly and then continued eating.

Hermione just leveled him with a look that openly showed how annoyed with him she already was, -and the day had only just begun-, and then she turned her eyes to Harry and Ginny when the latter of the two spoke up,

"Heard what, Hermione?" Ginny asked, her long red hair falling over her shoulder as she leaned closer.

Hermione inclined her head, her own hair slipping over her shoulder as she turned to face Ginny and Harry, who both appeared to be somewhere between interested and confused,

"Well, Sue Parry was saying this morning at breakfast-…"

"Breakfast, you ate breakfast already, wha-…?" Ron piped up, but trailed off when Hermione glared at him.

"…anyway," she sighed and slid her eyes to Harry and Ginny again, "she told me that before I came to breakfast this morning, she'd overheard two of the professors talking about the new Slytherin student. Apparently, he's some kind of genius," she breathed out the word, belatedly aware of the tenseness in her tone, "he completed **all** of the O.W.L exams in a few hours and he has an outstanding grade for _every_ subject, theory and practical." she was frowning now, her feelings settled somewhere between distress and intrigue.

Ron apparently found it amusing,

"Whatsa' matter, Hermione, worried about a little competition?" he teased.

"Shut up, Ron." she said in exasperation, eyes narrowed slightly.

Ginny glanced between them and then raised her eyebrows in her placid –deceptively observant- way,

"I heard something too." she said with a glance at each of them, Ron, Harry and then Hermione.

"Honestly, how do they do it?" Ron gave the two girls a look of curious amazement, before frowning at Harry who was trying not to smile at his best friend's jokes.

"Well, what is it?" Hermione asked Ginny, ignoring them.

"Rebecca Handlewood from Ravenclaw, told Farrah Fay in my year, that Katrina Penhouse from Slytherin-…" at this point Ron rolled his eyes and muttered a ' _bloody hell',_ and they both glared at him briefly before looking at one another again, "…bragged, that the new Slytherin boy is an alchemist," her blue eyes twinkled in fascination of the previously unheard of talent. And then Ginny smiled in that sweet, almost coy way that Hermione envied her ability to manage, "as well as being a devilishly good looking bloke on top of it." she raised an eyebrow.

And Ginny, dear, dear Ginny, always gave off the impression that suggested she never ever took note of the impact the words that came out of her mouth had on the people around her, being as she was quite a straightforward girl.

So when Hermione blushed at her candid statement, because she did in fact think the new student was very good looking, Ginny's expression remained mostly neutral, but with subtle hints of knowing amusement.

Ron thankfully didn't notice because he was too busy pulling his face, as if hearing Ginny talk about a guy being attractive made him feel ill, and Harry just continued to look confused and somewhat awkward at the comment.

Hermione recovered quickly enough, forcing herself not to fidget as she replayed Ginny's words in her mind and then it hit her,

"Wait, did you say an _alchemist_?" Ginny nodded all calm and collected and Hermione frowned, "Alchemy is a dead art, there are no alchemists left." she stated disbelievingly.

Ginny just shrugged, as if the speculation of it all hardly mattered to her, and then Ron shrugged too when they both looked at him.

Harry exhaled loudly then, leaning further in as he spoke up,  
"Hang on a minute, I seem to have missed something, who are we talking about?" he asked quietly.

They all turned to stare at him then and Hermione huffed and laughed softly,

"Oh right, of course, you weren't here for the sorting last night." she blinked, relaxing out of secret mode.

"There's a new Slytherin, mate, sixth year, same as us." Ron informed after sipping his juice.

"There he is now." Ginny said quietly, smiling placidly.

Ginny had turned to look at Hermione when she spotted the new teen, and when Harry and Ron both _so obviously_ turned to look that way as well, Hermione inwardly flinched. And then, far more subtly, she turned to look as well, and there he was, entering the hall flanked by none other than Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, the two talking about something or the other as the blonde appeared to be listening…mostly.

Hermione blinked a few times more than necessary as she looked at him, seeing that he made quite a nice sight decked out in his full Slytherin uniform, the coloring –green, black and gold- suited him really nicely. He was well put together too, uniform reasonably neat and his long fair gold-blonde hair neatly tied back in a ponytail with his bangs framing the fine features of his angular face. And even though Hermione couldn't see his eyes properly from so far away, she knew how striking those eyes were, more golden even than his hair.

Ginny poked her arm,

"It's true though, isn't it, Hermione, he's bloody gorgeous." she said with no small amount of amusement.

Hermione blushed again and quickly looked away to the table top, and she wondered guiltily if she had been staring. The new teen was a Slytherin after all, staring at him was probably not a good idea…especially considering the way that Ron was frowning at her. But Ginny was smirking as if she _knew_ , and she probably did, clever as she was.

Harry at least wasn't interested in Hermione's blushing face, he was focused on the new teen without looking away, watching him from across the hall all the way until he settled at the Slytherin table and only then did Harry turn to face them again, looking upset,

"Well, new or not, he certainly chose his crowd very quickly." he gestured with a tilt of his head over to the Slytherin table.

Again, they all glanced at once before Hermione could stop them and after briefly shutting her eyes and shaking her head in exasperation, she too glanced over. The new blonde had indeed settled into a rather specific crowd; Draco Malfoy's crowd. Presently he was sat smack dab in the middle of the tight clique, literally actually, since he was sitting directly across from Draco on opposite sides of the table with the rest of the group spread out on either sides of the blondes.

"D'ya think they're related?" Ron asked, a bit more seriously now, "Malfoy and him." he looked at his friends and sibling when they turned to look at him. Ginny shook her head,

"I don't think so."

Hermione nodded in agreement with her,

"I agree, McGonagall called him Elric last night, he isn't a Malfoy. And I've never even heard of that last name, so he can't be from the same magic clan." she glanced over again, unable to help it that time.

"What's his name?" Harry asked Hermione pointedly and she snapped her gaze to him, feeling as though he was accusing her of something. She opened and closed her mouth and then frowned,

"Why would I know his name?" she asked a bit defensively, offended, yet she didn't know why exactly.

Ron was frowning at her overreaction as Harry sighed and adjusted his spectacles on his nose,

"Sorry, it's just that usually you know everyone, Hermione." he said honestly.

"O-oh…" she deflated and brushed her hair behind her ear awkwardly, attempting to shrug, "…well, I actually don't know." she admitted.

Then they all looked at Ginny, because she was the next best source, but she shook her head, blinking innocently.

There was silence for a moment then, before Harry glanced at the main table where the teachers sat,

"What about the new potions professor, do you know who he is?" he asked with a glance back to Hermione.

Again she shook her head as she watched the new professor talk to another teacher, seemingly quite at ease,

"No, I don't know him either, but apparently he was some sort of a private international magic tutor before he became a teacher here." she informed of what she did know.

" _How_ do you know that? Really, it's bizarre." Ron sounded stumped, and when she went to answer him he just waved a hand, "Never mind." he said before drinking from his juice cup in deep gulps.

"Professor Slughorn must have changed his mind, then." Harry said in a mumble and ran a hand through his unruly hair.

"Oh right, you said that Dumbledore offered him the job, yeah?" Ron asked, finally done eating and drinking.

Harry nodded and looked at all of them in turns,

"And he accepted too, but he'd been hesitant and he must have turned it down in the end." he seemed to consider something, then, "Or…you don't think this new professor's done something to Slughorn, do you? So he could get the job?" he asked suspiciously.

Ah, Harry, ever the distrustful mind.

"I doubt it, Harry." Hermione said what she honestly thought.

"She's right mate, your reaching again." Ron mumbled and rubbed at his forehead.

Ginny stayed quiet.

Harry looked at them crossly,

"Again?" he huffed, "Is this about Malfoy, you don't believe that he's gone over to…" he paused, "…to **his** side?"

Ron just looked down at the table top and Ginny gave Harry a sympathetic look while Hermione just sighed, always the voice of diffusion and reason, she spoke up,

"We should go, the two of you still need to get your books before first period." she changed the subject, glancing from Harry to Ron.

After some upset and tense glances and shuffling they all stood up together, Ginny and Hermione carrying their books as they led the way out of the hall with Harry and Ron following, looking untidy and ill-prepared for the day. Before she reached the doors, Hermione cast a glance over at the Slytherin table, and felt disappointed when she didn't catch those golden eyes by chance.

Then she felt awful, because what was she thinking, **really**?

* * *

Roy was at breakfast in the Great Hall, presently engaged in an interesting conversation with the Divinations teacher, who seemed to be very disturbed by the fact that she couldn't get a reading on him _at all_.

The poor woman seemed unsettled that his origins seemed to…not exist, having found nothing when she'd attempted to look into his future, which for some reason required being able to align it with his past.

And while it sounded crazy on the surface it was also scarily accurate in a way, considering that in that world, Roy didn't have a history. But despite the eeriness of it, he was content to humor her conversation, leaning comfortably back in his chair at the teachers table, sipping on some -not too bad- coffee.

He was fully prepared for his first lessons of the day and while he was a regular slacker most of the time, when it counted he came through. He felt smug about that. He often did.

Another good point to the day was that he'd had a pleasant conversation with Dumbledore that morning. The man had been less formal and had been congenial enough to ask whether Roy was nervous, and Dumbledore had also offered him some advice on how to manage the students. It was all very ordinary and generic, the polite, friendly approach of it, trivial even in how benign it had been, but Roy was okay with that, because it meant he was coming across as just plain ordinary and harmless if that was the extent of conversation offered to him, and that was very good for his cover.

Edward on the other hand, was a different story.

The entire staff –and probably the student body too- was abuzz with rumors that Edward Elric was not only a genius, but an _**alchemist**_ as well. And Roy had no idea how that story had developed, because it was not supposed to have even come up as a possibility of a possibility, but he'd pretended to be surprised and curious right along with the other teachers when he'd heard the information making its rounds that morning.

It was starting to feel like an urgent need now, that as soon as he had a chance he'd have to talk to Ed and find out just how the hell that bit of information –that they'd specifically agreed to keep secret- had managed to become common goddamn knowledge, and so damn quickly too.

Speaking of the blonde bratty devil, Roy glanced at the entrance to the Great Hall just in time to see Edward entering. And Roy had to stop himself from staring like a stunned idiot when he noticed that Ed seemed to have found himself a ' _clique_ '. There were two boys flanking the blonde's sides as they walked in with a few other kids from different houses filtering in just behind them. And Edward even seemed to be talking to them, all casual and comfortable an-…

' _Did he just laugh?'_ Roy really had to force himself to look away and not look over again, but he was _amazed_.

Edward was not sociable, and he was not friendly with people that he barely knew…or friendly at all if he could help it, and even though he hadn't exactly been laughing out loud, that amused snicker Roy had witnessed seemed so out of place around strangers for the usually guarded, serious and abrasive teen.

Distracted as he was, Roy hoped that his impromptu, feigned smile was fitting with whatever Sybil Trelawney was saying as his thoughts lingered on Edward, the fact occurring to him, almost endearingly, that Edward was having his first actual high school experience with people his own age in a youthful environment.

Roy knew Ed had never been interested in people his own age besides Alphonse and Winry, not even when he'd been a little kid. And he supposed that Ed had no idea just how fun it could be to have the freedom of youth and _friends_ his own age to spend time with, as opposed to always being around people twice his age. He almost felt bad then that their being at Hogwarts was just a mission, especially when he glanced over again to see Ed smiling and listening to what the kids around him were talking about.

Ed caught his eye that time though, and the blonde somehow managed to convey a; ' _hi, bastard_ ' in his gaze with a subtle smirk on his face, and Roy only just managed not to grin at the teen's ability to greet him that way without words.

Seeing Ed doing okay was somewhat reassuring at least, making him think that maybe Ed was handling the whole magic world better than he'd thought the teen would.

For that, Roy was glad.

* * *

Edward woke up late that morning, which was not necessarily unusual for when he had work in the morning, but was completely normal when he had a day off. Of course, that had been back in Amestris, where he'd never had a school schedule that he had to properly follow and be super punctual about.

So when he jerked awake to the sound of distant talking and laughing between young voices, Edward had to gather his confused wits about what the actual fuck was going as quickly as he could. It took him a few long seconds, but he remembered where he was and why he was there, and then he -groggily as hell- pulled the bed curtain back on one side to find his dorm room void of anyone, the noise apparently filtering inside from outside the room.

Edward rubbed his hands over his face and pushed his sleep mussed hair behind his ears, groaning to himself when he realized that he was probably late and had likely been left behind.

But while his first morning started out disoriented and off track, he realized quickly that it would also kind of work out in his favor when it came to using the communal bathroom, because if everyone else was up and gone already, then he'd have some privacy.

And after checking the time on his pocket watch, seeing that it was 8:17 AM, Edward shoved the bed curtain open properly and got out of bed, quickly grabbing his toothbrush, paste, underwear and his uniform to change into, before he rushed out of the dorm, much in the same way he had back in the military barracks when he was in a hurry to get to work after oversleeping.

He went down the dorm stairs all the way just as Blaise had said and as expected, since everyone was long up and ready, the communal bathroom was empty. Still, just to be safe, Ed went to the very end stall to take a five minute shower. And another five minutes later he was back in the dorm room, his teeth brushed, mouth tingling with strong mint, hotly showered and alchemy dried and dressed in his uniform pants, shirt and socks. Another minute later Ed had –hatefully- tied his school tie and pulled on his boots, the latter laced over his pants, and was tying his hair into a ponytail with practiced ease. A final two minutes later he was fully dressed in his uniform, having pulled on his jumper and then his black school robe, and he had his wand in his inner pocket along with a single notebook in his hand.

Edward took the time that he was ascending the stairs to the common room, to be infuriated and in disbelief that he was all dressed up in a fucking _uniform_ and going to _school_.

It was like some kind of bizarre, but grudgingly interesting, dream/nightmare.

As he entered the common room he checked his watch again, it was 8:40, and he found himself hoping that he'd make it in time for breakfast, because despite sleeping for several hours, he still felt tired and irritable and he was hungry and food would help with his energy levels. He knew he'd have to adjust to the changes of a new and wholly different daily routine, and he'd also eventually adjust to the stress of the lie he was going to be temporarily living, and hopefully then he'd start to feel better and sleep better.

Still, no matter how much he adjusted, it wouldn't stop him from spending his nights before he felt into an exhausted sleep, wondering if Al was okay and stressing about how the younger Elric was doing. Thinking of Alphonse really made him feel guilty though, that once again he was experiencing things that Alphonse couldn't. The whole magic thing aside, Ed was getting to go to _school_. Like a normal teenager.

Alphonse had always wanted to be normal, he'd always liked the idea of school.

"Bout' time, Ed, I was just about to come lookin' for ya'."

Edward looked up as he'd been heading across the large open area of the common room toward the exit, and his eyes fell on Blaise where the tall teen stood up from sitting on the couch. Ed raised an eyebrow as he stopped walking and turned to face the other boy, tucking his notebook under his arm before he inconspicuously slipped his white gloves out of his robe's outer pocket,

"You waited for me?" he wondered aloud as he pulled the gloves on, left and then right.

Ed glanced at Nott as well when the other teen stood up too, leaning over to grab his books up off the table.

"Didn't want ya' getting lost." Blaise said with a sharp smile as they all headed toward the stone wall exit and Blaise grabbed and patted Ed's shoulder once they were near enough to one another in what Ed assumed was a friendly gesture of some sort.

"Just about everybody gets lost their first time." Nott informed.

Edward just shrugged facially in response as they exited the Slytherin common room, walking out into the empty hallway, obviously the last of the Slytherins to leave. As they walked, falling into step with one another and making their way up and up to the Great Hall for much needed food, Blaise filled the silence with a story about some prank he and Nott had once pulled on a fellow Slytherin in their second year. Nott wasn't quite as loud or animated as Blaise was when talking, but he joined in the retelling, and when they referred a comment or question to Ed, he offered appropriate responses.

He'd heard many tales of friendly pranking before and their story was kind of amusing, and it reached its conclusion just as they walked into the hall, Blaise walking on one side of him and Nott on the other, and the three of them snickered about the kid who ended up without any eyebrows.

Yeah, it had been funny enough, Ed had been able to imagine it.

From there they settled in with the rest of the Slytherin group Ed had been accepted into the night before. He received greeting smiles from the girls and nods from the guys, even from Malfoy, who had been daydreaming, looking very deep in thought about something, but he took a second to nod at him.

The talking continued then, now including more people in the group, and Ed didn't have to comment because he kept his mouth full with the food laid out before him, taking in the sustenance he'd need to get through the day until lunch time came around, since meals at the school were regimented.

He'd have to get used to that too, now that he couldn't just eat whenever he wanted.

At one point when Blaise was telling Nott that he'd forgotten his first period textbook, Ed spotted Mustang where the older man was sitting at the teachers table. The colonel had his fake ' _I'm so interested in what you're saying right now_ ' look on his face as he talked to a disheveled looking female teacher. And Mustang must have been trying to spot him because the man's gaze wandered over to the Slytherin table just then and their eyes met across the distance. That brief second before they both looked away was all the necessary acknowledgement needed though, a way for them to confirm to one another that they were still fine.

Ed managed to scarf down an impressive amount of food in the ten minutes he had before the food disappeared, making Crabbe give a low whistle and a snort, and when he was done eating Edward scanned the table and then glanced around at his peers,

"Coffee?" he asked simply, an eyebrow hiked up.

There was some movement down the table aways as a pot of coffee was passed toward him by the Slytherins. Edward drank two cups in two minutes and then he exhaled in reasonable content and rubbed his hands over his face, finally ready to start his day. Kind of.

Just then Ed heard heels clipping nearer and nearer and everyone, including him, glanced at McGonagall as she came down the aisle…straight toward Edward, and she looked less than impressed.

They all glanced at him in question and he just shrugged right before she stopped behind him.

He turned to face her when she spoke,

"Late to breakfast." she stated in her garbled accent, her tone stern as she looked from him to the rest of the group of Slytherins, "Mr. Elric," she looked down at him again, all teacherly and whatnot, "Professor Snape was looking for you earlier." she said as she held out a hand sized rectangular card for him to take, "He asked me to give you this, he said he'd discussed your chosen subjects with you already," she turned to leave but then stopped and gave him a warning look, "I trust you will be on time to my class." and it didn't sound like a suggestion. She glanced at everyone else then too, "That goes for all of you, now hurry up, classes begin in five minutes."

When she finally did walk away, the Slytherins complained about McGonagall being annoying and how she shouldn't be telling them what to do. It seemed like a typical student to teacher response and Edward didn't pay attention to them, he was too busy looking at the timetable card that was filled with a class schedule he'd in fact _never_ discussed with Snape.

He made an irritated face when he thought of the bastard choosing his subjects for him, so much like Mustang had always chosen missions that he thought Ed would be good on. It was pretty fucking annoying.

He was just committing his first day's schedule to memory when the card was snagged from him by Blaise,

"What the hell?" he snapped and Blaise laughed good-naturedly,

"Relax, mate, just avin' a look." and he did just that, looking over the card and then raising his eyebrows almost comically, "You're doing ten subjects!" he seemed shocked.

Edward snatched the card back,

"So I am…" he affirmed vaguely, because apparently he was, and when he glanced around, he saw that everyone was sort of just gaping at him, except for Malfoy, he was frowning.

Pansy raised an eyebrow as she stood up, many other students throughout the hall doing the same,

"I don't think anyone in our year has that many subjects." she informed.

"Except maybe Granger." one of the twins said as they got up as well.

"Even Draco's only doing nine subjects." Blaise informed and Malfoy gave him an irritated look for pointing it out.

Slowly they all got up to leave and Ed pocketed his timetable as he joined them,

"And you're doing arithmancy." Blaise said with a pained expression on his face as he fell into step beside Ed.

"What's the big deal?" Ed honestly didn't know.

"There are only a handful of students who take up that particular subject." Nott added and then asked, "What's your first class?"

Edward sighed and stuck his free hand in his robe pocket as he walked,

"Ancient Runes."

There were some comments made about how boring that was and then eventually everyone broke off, Blaise and Nott had a different class to attend along with the rest of the group and Ed found himself walking in a different direction, but not alone…Malfoy apparently had the same first period as he did. There was no conversation and a good meter of distance between them as they walked, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Draco looked deep in thought again, distracted by something, and Ed was inwardly griping over the long list of subjects Snape had stuck him with.

Just because he _could_ do all that shit, didn't mean that he wanted or needed to. And the bigger and most prominent problem that his extra full day would pose, was that he wouldn't have as much free time to spend in the library to find a way home. He sighed inwardly as he and Draco reached the first class and Edward just hoped that the Ancient Runes study might uncover some stuff that might help him figure out the array to get home.

* * *

Ancient Runes class had been both boring and unhelpful, but the work wasn't hard. Ed had learned all there was to learn in the textbooks better than well enough to be able to translate and read the old languages and symbols. The symbols tended to be pretty straightforward too, unlike alchemical runes that could represent anywhere from three to ten different things depending on the array or context a symbol was used in.

The teacher had tried though, to make it not so boring, but the subject matter wasn't doing her any favors.

It had at least been amusing to watch as the girl from Diagon Alley, the brunette with a stubborn pout and a cute face, as she'd been the only student actively participating in the lesson the entire time.

Edward had started counting the number of eye rolls she received every time her hand went up, either to answer or to ask a question and sometimes just to offer up some excess information. But it wasn't that it had bothered or annoyed him as it had the other students, it had actually done quite the opposite since Edward appreciated a keen intellect as much as Mustang appreciated a smooth, aged whiskey or Hawkeye an automatic handgun. Mostly though, it had just amused him how determined she was to put her hand up despite no other student challenging her for the attention.

There had only been two other Slytherins in the class besides himself and Malfoy and they had looked particularly irritated with her, but then, even the Gryffindor girl sitting beside her had looked exasperated at her over eagerness. In the end, despite the subject being a drag, there had been entertainment relief.

* * *

Presently Edward was walking in the direction of the class he'd written all of his O.W.L's in, Snape's classroom. His timetable said DADA next and since it was a core subject and not an elective class, many more sixth year students from other houses were filling the corridor on the way there.

Edward was still more or less walking with Malfoy, it seemed to be the way it worked amongst the students, all falling in to walk with their house peers. He noticed that because just behind him and Malfoy were the other two Slytherin students from the Runes class following.

Just before they arrived at the class though, Blaise, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and the twins all walked into the corridor and fell into step with him and Malfoy, forming a larger group, and a minute later they all arrived at the large doors to the classroom and filed in.

Edward had no inclination to sit right at the front though, despite all of the Slytherins heading straight in that direction, he instead chose a desk fourth back from the front on the far left side of the three rows…and he glanced at Blaise with a blink when the teen slid in next to him.

Apparently Blaise was going to be his BFF.

Edward nearly laughed out loud at how ridiculous the idea of him having some generic teenager best friend was, and yet, all _normal_ people had best friends. Winry and Al had been like best friends when they'd been growing up, because Ed had been rougher and less nice to her, she'd always called Al her best friend. Mustang had had Maes Hughes, and that had been a really strong friendship. Riza too had sometimes talked about a female officer she had lunch with once a month or when she could spare the time. Havoc and Breda were also like best buddies…

Ed wondered, as the class settled in to talking amongst themselves because Snape was not present yet, whether he had anyone he could consider a best friend, or even just a good friend, anyone besides the guys in the military he'd gotten to know over the years and got along with…someone his _own_ age.

When Ling came to mind Edward raised an eyebrow, he had gotten along with Ling pretty well -even including all of the life threatening situations they'd been in-, and he supposed that if he kept in contact with Ling in the future –when he got back home- then he and Ling might well become good friends.

But honestly, Al was his best friend in the end…and yes, Ed knew that was kind of sad.

He sighed inwardly as he leaned his elbows on the desk, glancing at Blaise, who was reclining back and talking to Nott over his shoulder where the gangly, dark haired boy sat in the desk behind them.

A minute later a hush fell over the classroom when the door opened –dramatically loud- and Edward half rolled his eyes, glancing back like everyone else to watch as Snape swept into the room with his long black robe flaring –and no doubt picking up a fair amount of dust- as it trailed behind him.

"Be…quiet." the man said loudly, his voice wavering as he walked, as if he wasn't used to speaking that loudly.

Everyone had fallen silent as ordered, and they all watched Snape until he reached the front of the class and did a well-practiced about face to look over all of the students, his robe settling around him. Edward was tempted to applaud him, but then he remembered they had a deal about behavior, and so in that class Ed would be a good student no matter how tempted he was to do or say something sarcastic about eccentric teachers and their melodrama.

Already bored, Ed slumped onto the desk again, folding his arms and propping his chin in his hand, waiting for the second –geez the time was dragging- class of his day to be over.

Snape was looking over everyone with his usual grave expression,

"As your defense against the dark…arts, professor, this year, you should all be aware that I will **not** accept…slacking." he drew the last word out with a distasteful scowl.

"As it stands," Snape went on, "there are already underachieving students…present here…" his eyes shifted and many other pairs followed to settle on a red haired boy who looked appropriately offended and embarrassed at being singled out, "…due to the incon-sistent grades they've had in this class up until this point." he looked around again then, while the Slytherins all snickered, looking at the red faced redhead.

Edward glanced over as well, Blaise leaning back enough that Ed was able to see the guy pretty clearly in the middle row. The red head was sitting and glaring over at them –the Slytherins-, but Edward ignored that, looking next to the redhead and seeing the teen who'd had a bloody nose the night before. The Slytherins had called him Potter, and he was also glaring at them, along with the cute girl from Diagon Alley, but Edward noticed that when her eyes settled on him, just briefly, the scowl slipped and she looked away quickly.

Interesting.

Ed looked back to the front when Snape continued,

"From now on you will all be ex-pected…to excel…or I will _fail_ you." he said very slowly and very seriously, making several students, including Crabbe and Goyle, groan quietly, even Blaise looked a bit worried. "Now, we will revise spells learned from last year…" he cast another look over the class, "…but, to make it more _interesting_ you'll be doing this revision, _nonverbally_." Snape's lips twitched as if he might smirk when there was collective groan amongst most of the students.

"Enough." he silenced everyone when the grumbling became too loud, "Nonverbal spells, disadvantages?" it was a question.

And only one hand shot up.

There was a muttering from some students and more eye rolls from others, Blaise included, giving the Gryffindor girl a quick mocking look and shaking his head. Edward just smirked at her behavior and watched Snape for his reaction. The man's eyes slid very slowly –very closely resembling an eye roll- to the cute brunette teen who seemed unperturbed by the other students or the professor's disdain.

"Yes, Granger?" Snape drawled, seeing as no one else volunteered.

Edward did recognize the name though, realizing that she was one of the people the Slytherins disliked and made fun of. She was the one they'd called a mudblood, but he still didn't know what that meant.

He was amused though, to see that she actually looked pleased to be picked, and he watched as she quickly lowered her hand, snorting quietly to himself and wondering how she could feel victorious when literally _no one_ challenged her,

"The disadvantage of a nonverbal spell is that it tends to have less effective results with regards to most spells, making it weaker." she answered primly, her articulation formidable and her posture ramrod straight.

Snape remained standing perfectly still at the front of the class, just in front of his desk, only his eyes moving as he slid them away from Granger to look over the rest of the class again,

"Advantages?" it was another question and the brunette's hand went up again. Surprise, surprise.

Snape didn't even look at her that time and instead Ed found the man looking at him,

"Perhaps, Elric can tell us." and the professor's eyebrow went up slightly in expectation.

Well, shit.

Edward's first instinct was to decline - _because fuck that_ -, but then he remembered that he'd agreed to cooperate in Snape's class, and dammit, if he wasn't regretting that win/win agreement already.

When all eyes turned to him, the Slytherins glancing at him while the rest of the class, especially Granger, openly stared, Ed just remained slumped in his seat and leaning on his elbows, arms folded over each other.

And he gave Snape a lazy look before he answered,

"Element of surprise, the opponent wouldn't know you were gonna' attack him or her until they were already on their ass-ah…I mean…" Snape was glaring at him and the Slytherins were snickering, "…incapacitated or disarmed." usually in that order too, when Ed had his way. Heh.

The other students also stifled snickers at his slip of bad language, all of them except for Granger, who didn't look remotely amused. She was blinking and studiously staring at the front of the class now, while making that stubborn pouting expression again.

"Correct…" Snape finally stopped glaring and Ed just couldn't help smirking at him. Blaise was still snickering and the Slytherins all looked pleased, "…nonverbal spells can work very well for select wizards or witches, depending on…what?" he asked slowly.

Granger's hand went up, but that time she didn't wait to be selected,

"Depending on the spell, Professor, some spells work better than others when used nonverbally, for example-…"

"Thank…you, Granger." Snape cut her off.

And Edward didn't know what was wrong with him, but he figured it would probably be a good thing if someone pointed out that spell power depended on a person's abilities and skills, not only on a few stupid words.

So he put his hand up, slowly sitting up and back in his chair and everyone looked at him when Snape did, the Slytherins looked surprised, Granger upset and Snape seemed wary,

"Elric?" he prompted evenly.

"Executing an attack…" Edward paused and then rephrased for everyone paying attention, "…a, uh, spell, its usefulness depends more on the strength of the person utilizing it than of the spell used. The selected spell is relative to the user's level of competency, and the efficacy behind it would depend entirely on how physically and mentally advanced the person, uh, wizard or witch is." he finished and there was just silence and wide eyes that followed his answer.

Some people looked confused, the Slytherins especially, except for Malfoy, who appeared oddly intent on what Ed had been saying. Snape had that nearly smirking look on his face again,

"Example." he encouraged.

Granger did not look pleased at all.

Edward raised his eyebrows and glanced around at all of the teens now interested in what he had to say,

"Alright, well, for instance, instead of using a defensive spell, I could use a disarming spell directly _against_ an offensive spell and overpower it." he said plainly and honestly…and a little cockily. But it was true, because he knew how to control the flow of energy and he could apply or retract as much as was necessary to achieve any result.

Magic-folk seemed to have no idea how to understand or control the energy they had access to, hell, most of them probably didn't even realize there was an energy source and they just called it magic, and that made them all vulnerable, but Edward wasn't about to tell them that.

The Slytherin's seemed somewhere between confused and impressed –the latter probably by default-, while a few other students looked disbelieving, as if they thought he was talking nonsense, and the redhead from earlier scoffed audibly.

Snape noticed the reaction, and Ed watched as the professor, amused, looked at the redhead,

"Perhaps you'd like to come up here and challenge his theory, Weasley." Snape suggested.

The teen looked uncertain for a second, but then he seemed to find his confidence,

"Alright." he said with a break in his voice, standing up with false bravado.

Snape gave Ed a look that said; ' _get up_ ', as he briskly walked to the side of his desk to give them the front floor space for their impromptu demonstration.

Unavoidable as it apparently was now, Edward sighed and stood up, walking to the front and deciding in future that he would just shut the hell up and not partake actively in classes because it was a pain in the ass.

When he came to stop at the front, there were a few meters of space between him and the nervous redhead, who was two inches taller than Edward and seemed to be trying to look down at him…and Ed _really_ didn't like that.

Snape though, was enjoying it all too much, as the hint of amusement in his tone suggested,

"Nonverbally." he instructed with a smirk directed at Weasley, whose face fell and his tense shoulders sagged.

"No." Ed spoke and Snape looked at him sharply, so he amended his tone quickly, remembering their agreement, "No, professor," he said less firmly and more like a student would speak to a teacher, giving Snape a small sneaky grin, "we should use verbal spells so that there's no confusion when I disarm him." he added matter-of-factly.

There was an eruption of agreement from the Slytherins and Ed glanced over to find them all grinning at him, or sneering at the redhead and other students in the class. Edward looked back to Snape then, and after a moment the man nodded stiffly to allow it. Weasley looked relieved as he pulled his wand out of his robe, shifting one foot back and raising his wand at a specific angle, making it _painfully_ obvious to Ed just what spell he would use and on what side he would attack.

Damn, these magic types were clueless amateurs.

Ed on the other hand just slipped his wand out and raised his gloved hands slightly on either side of him, inviting Weasley to _try_ and tag him with the 'stupefy' spell he was going to use.

He knew he was being cocky, and while the Slytherins were loving it, the Gryffindor's weren't.

In a movement that Ed supposed was meant to be unexpected, Weasley cut his wand through the air vertically in Ed's direction and shouted ' _stupefy'_. And with a sharp upward flick of his wand Edward put out a disarming charm to directly nullify the redhead's spell energy, following his action with the clearly announced ' _expelliarmus_ '. And yeah, he put more energy into it than was necessary, which was a dick move, but Weasley had pissed him off by trying to look _down_ on him. And so the energy of his disarming spell not only swallowed up the 'stupefy', the excess energy continued on and barreled right into the redhead's right shoulder.

It all happened in a second, the energy that Edward had intentionally applied more strength to -indirectly making his point about control and strength coming before blind intent- hit the redhead in his shoulder in a wisp of white, and there were several gasps of shock when not only did the teen's wand fall from his hand -as expected of a disarming charm-, but the redhead himself took a physical hit.

Weasley spun sharply backwards on his right side, being thrown off balance by the force and landing on his back on the hard floor, and that was just from the minimal energy Ed had added.

And Edward had specifically used magic and not alchemy for the demonstration, in order to avoid the purple-red energy that would raise suspicion and questions. But as he stood with his wand now aimed at the ground as Weasley lay glaring up at him, Ed found his thoughts wandering…and Scar came to mind, Scar and how'd he'd turned alchemy against alchemists, had used their own energy to maim, injure and kill them.

Wizards really had no idea just how badly Ed could injure them…

The dark thought barely had time to register before it was interrupted by a staccato clapping sound, and Ed blinked away the uncharacteristic thought and looked over the class to find that a Slytherin girl with long black hair had stood up and was smiling placidly and _clapping_ , followed soon by the rest of the Slytherins who started applauding and exclaiming their approval.

Weasley got up off the floor quickly then and with a very upset scowl on his face. His arm wasn't hurt because Ed hadn't intended to hurt him, just put him in his place, but he'd landed on that side of his body, so he was holding his shoulder as he walked over to where his wand had rolled and skidded to behind Snape's desk and picked it up. And when he walked back to his Gryffindor friends, Ed noticed that Potter was glaring at him through his round glasses, the likes of which reminded Ed of Shou Tucker, and he didn't even realize he was making an expression of distaste at Potter until Granger stood up and his attention flitted to her,

"Professor, if I may?" she gestured to the front of the class.

Snape was looking less and less like a miserable bastard by that point, a few of his scowl lines had lessened and he was in such good spirits that he simply gestured for Granger to come forward. The atmosphere in the classroom had shifted by that point from easy to hostile, because the Slytherins started mocking more aggressively, muttering audible quips about 'filthy mudblood' and 'annoying know-it-all'.

And while Ed didn't know what a mudblood was, the use of the word 'filthy' gave him more of an idea, and he didn't like it one bit. He could see nothing about the girl that warranted such insults, and by the hurt that flashed over her face before she covered it up with anger and admirable resilience, Ed knew it was uncalled for.

He glanced over at the Slytherins with a look that said ' _shut the hell up_ ', his eyes specifically settling on Blaise and Nott, who he'd thought weren't so bad, and he kind of didn't want them to be assholes for absolutely no reason. They looked surprised by the disapproval, and some of the others looked annoyed, and while Malfoy did too, he looked more contemplative and shrewd than anything else.

Snape glanced at the Slytherins as well, and while his expression was unreadable, it worked to silence them.

Edward turned his attention back to Granger then, having noticed how all the rest of the class looked far more upset since the word 'mudblood' came up. She was looking at him with an expression somewhere between confusion and dislike, and it didn't bother him…it never bothered him when people didn't like him.

"Begin." Snape said once they were in their respective places and focused on each other.

Granger was good though, far better than Weasley at least. She'd obviously taken her cue from his nonverbal spell lecture earlier and decided to challenge him on it. She shot off three different nonverbal spells almost instantly following each other and having not expected such a straightforward attack, Ed only had a split second to cut his wand up again, but that was more than enough time, and using excess energy to swallow up the first two spells, the third one he forced back at her with a wrist flick.

She had no dodging skills per say, but she had at least expected something like that might happen because she gracelessly avoided it, except it'd happened so fast and with relative force that she didn't recover quick enough and that was more of an opening than Ed would have needed to best her. Honestly, the physically ungainly manner of these wizards and witches only made it easier to get the better of them in the end.

Wordlessly Ed shot a disarming charm at her, but not to knock her over as he'd done Weasley, just to disarm her.

The wand flew from her hand and she gasped in surprise, and having regained her balance, she seemed determined not to go down so easily and to everyone's surprise she held her hand out and shouted 'Accio wand' while it was careening through the air.

Edward grinned, genuinely impressed with her determination, and he watched as the wand rebounded and headed back to her waiting hand…still though, it was about winning. So just because he could, Ed wordlessly raised his wand and cast a switching spell aimed at her wand.

The class fell silent when the wand popped out of visibility, disappearing and Granger found herself just barely catching his silver pocket watch by the chain in her open palm, her eyes as wide as everyone else's in the class, someone muttering a rather loud 'bloody hell' into the hush. There were murmurs after a moment, and when Granger turned to look at him her confusion and shock at what had just happened changed to a faint blush, quickly followed by that stubborn pout.

It was enough to make Ed smile as he walked up to her, stopping just a foot away from the shorter teen as he reached beneath his robe into his pants pocket with his free hand, retrieving her wand from where his watch had been before and holding it out to her with the handle grip extended.

She seemed stunned by his lack of hostility, the dislike fading from her face, and up close for a second time, Ed found she really was very pretty. She had plain brown eyes and plain multi-tonal brown hair with fine and attractive features, nothing done up or excessive, she was just very plainly pretty.

Granger took her wand from him after a second of awkward silence, and then Ed held out his hand and she took a further few seconds to realize what he wanted before she started in awkward realization and looked at the pocket watch she held in her other hand. She raised it by the chain with a small huff of embarrassment and placed it in his waiting gloved palm.

He was just pocketing the watch when she seemed to remember herself and she tilted her chin up, affecting an upset and defiant expression again.

Snape then broke the silence,

"Fifty points to Slytherin…" there were grumbles from the class and Granger's pride deflated right before Ed's eyes, "…and…to Gryffindor…" and then she looked shocked from Ed to Snape and back again, "…for an excellent display of advanced magic, in a sixth year class." the professor added slowly, nodding at both of them, "Now sit down." he instructed curtly.

Edward had no problem with that, he'd just decided he would officially _never_ participate in a lesson again, no matter how much he liked to show off, and anyway, he had to try and remember that a low profile was key.

As he sat down all of the other Slytherins grinned at him, his glare from earlier apparently taken with a pinch of salt, because they were giving him very approving looks and nods, and Blaise who was nearest, patted him on his shoulder roughly and said 'nicely done, mate'.

Ed just shrugged.

"Potter, Malfoy…demonstrate." Snape announced next and Ed slumped into his seat to watch.

* * *

Well, that had escalated quickly.

Ed's own two demonstrations had been friendlies, he hadn't hurt Weasley or Granger, but Potter and Malfoy were another story entirely.

The two teens obviously had a healthy amount of contempt toward one another and it showed when Malfoy's first spell cast at Potter was ' _Flipendo Duo'_. The spell had been thrust out with quite a bit of energy and with a deep scowl on the Slytherin teen's face, and his anger had more than likely affected the spell, therefore showing very little control but ample intent to _harm_. And Potter responded likewise just a moment after nullifying Draco's spell, flicking his wand and announcing _'Alarte Ascendare'_.

They went back and forth for a few turns before Potter landed a stunning charm on Malfoy that flung him backwards so hard that he skidded on the floor.

Potter and the rest of the Gryffindors looked satisfied after that, while the Slytherins had all glared and sneered, and Ed realized that it really was just the way they did things between the two houses. He was happy to stay out of it though, simply observing and being amused by the way the teens around him behaved.

Having been through true horror, he didn't see any importance in the spats going on around him.

* * *

When the class was finally over, after quite a few more demonstrations from different houses and students, Edward felt like he could safely say that he'd enjoyed DADA and that he'd look forward to it in future. Blaise seemed to agree as he laughed and talked to Ed about how a Hufflepuff student had immobilized a Ravenclaw right when she'd had a hilarious expression on her face which had made her look constipated.

And Ed couldn't deny it,

"Yeah, that was pretty funny." he agreed with a grin as they walked to Herbology class with the rest of the group and a very pissed off Malfoy.

* * *

 _Next Chapter: The school day continues, Ed attends Potions and Transfiguration class!_


	8. Octō

**A/N: For the full summary, detailed tags and reference images for this story, please visit the AO3 upload. FF limits several things.**

 **-The scientific info is mostly courtesy of Wiki.**

 **-This is not Beta'd, sorry for any mistakes.**

 **-Thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed! I hope you'll continue to enjoy.**

* * *

 **The universe seems so much smaller**

* * *

"Well, that was interesting." Neville Longbottom said congenially as he fell into step beside Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, the former in the middle and Hermione next to him. During the DADA lesson, Neville had also managed to stun a Slytherin student when his turn came, and while it had not been a very powerful spell that he'd used, Hermione had thought that Neville had executed it swiftly and proficiently enough that the chosen spell didn't matter.

" _Interesting?_ It was bloody mental!" Ron stated somewhat loudly, making a few other students walking with them in the hall glance over. Clearly, he was still irritable about being knocked over by a disarming charm.

"I think he's right, though." Neville said with awkward smile as he leaned forward and looked at Ron. And Ron smirked at his words, thinking that Neville was agreeing with him, until he clarified, "The new Slytherin boy, what he said about the strength behind a wizard or witch's attack being more powerful depending on the person."

Ron snorted,

"Rubbish-…"

"No, Neville's right," Harry piped up, sounding somewhat cross about it, "what Elric said is true." and he glanced at Hermione then, who quickly looked ahead at the long hallway, feeling guilty for some reason that she couldn't place. "I saw the way Hermione reacted when he told that information to the class." he continued to look at her expectantly, "You agreed with him, didn't you?" he asked then, not even really accusingly, just curious, but she still felt put on the spot.

Hermione eventually turned to look at them when they all stared at her, Neville and Harry wearing neutral expressions while Ron looked betrayed. And she hesitated at first, but then her usual obstinacy and academic confidence returned and Hermione answered evenly,

"It's true, yes, some wizards and witches just naturally have a better handle on magic and can perform the spells that others do at an average level, with much more power."

"Just like the Slytherin boy did." Neville nodded, not missing a beat in agreeing.

They fell silent then as they made their way to Herbology, Ron sulking now and Harry looking thoughtful, while Neville glanced around as they left the corridor and entered out into the yard on the way to the greenhouse area.

Hermione got lost in thought, thinking back to her own demonstration with the new boy,

"He didn't even seem to put any effort behind it." she mumbled to herself, but they heard her.

There was a moment of tense silence before Harry said,

"Isn't that something to worry about, then?" glancing at each of them as they walked, "He's doing advanced magic with ease, which means he's powerful, plus he's in Slytherin **and** he's friends with Malfoy and company," he raised an eyebrow, "the likes of which _all_ have fathers who are Death Eaters?" he pointed out, his expression slipping into an upset frown as he glanced ahead of them to where the aforementioned Slytherin students were walking separately.

Neville shrugged, still looking awkward and now uncertain of how to respond to that.

"Dya' think his father is also a Death Eater?" Ron mumbled with an upset and worried frown.

Harry and Neville didn't answer, so Hermione did,

"I don't know." she said honestly, clutching her books when they looked at her. And she really didn't know, but despite everything that Harry had just pointed out, she was really hoping the new teen wasn't on the dark side.

She thought then of how sincerely he'd smiled at her after their duel, and how it had been so disarming and had made her breath catch in her throat…and she felt so incredibly guilty for being attracted to him that it upset her. Although whether she was upset about liking him, or about being worried that she liked him, she wasn't sure yet.

"I doubt it, I heard he's an orphan." Neville said as unobtrusively as possible.

No one said anything after that, and the group walked for a while until Neville broke off with a quick wave and walked ahead and they all waited a few seconds until Neville was out of earshot, and then Harry huffed and stopped walking, and he turned around to face them, looking from Ron to Hermione when they stopped as well,

"Orphan or not, how can we be sure he isn't a threat?" Harry whispered, moving from foot to foot anxiously, "I mean, he intentionally hurt Ron, in a friendly duel and-…"

"Actually, Harry," Ron made an awkwardly guilty face when they both looked at him, "he didn't, it didn't hurt." he blinked his wide blue eyes, looking especially apologetic when Hermione sighed in exasperation at him.

She should have guessed he'd been hamming it up, trying to make Elric look bad.

Harry frowned and shook his head,

"What do you mean, you said that your arm was hurt?" he asked.

Ron shrugged as he looked between his slightly shorter friends,

"It is hurt, but so is my arse…" he pointed out, "…because I fell on it."

Hermione shook her head,

"So you're saying his _expelliarmus_ didn't hurt you, but hitting the ground did?"

Hermione felt relieved when Ron nodded,

"It more tingled is what it did, didn't really feel anything until I landed on the floor…bloody git." he grumbled the last part, shooting a glare at the Slytherin pack, now far down across the yard from them.

Harry seemed to deflate at Ron's admission, and he turned away as his shoulders fell, the trio starting to walk again in the direction of their next class.

Hermione glanced at the back of Harry's head as he walked a bit ahead of her and Ron, and she found herself wishing that he'd stop thinking everyone was in on Voldemort's plan, because honestly, if they didn't have a little faith in humanity, then how could they trust that there were any other good people left at all.

"But I agree with Harry, bloke might be dangerous…" Ron added, and she tensed as he turned to look at her, "…I mean, come on Hermione, even _we_ couldn't touch him and we've fought real Death Eater's before, hell, you've even taken out one or two, remember at the ministry that time?" he was saying with a serious expression.

Harry had slowed down to fall into step with them and he was frowning now, the mention of that night no doubt bringing back memories of Sirius Black's death for the dark haired teen. Hermione elbowed Ron for his insensitivity and the red head mouthed a silent 'ow' before shrugging apologetically to her.

Hermione shook her head,

"Just because he's a skilled wizard, does not mean that he's automatically evil." she said as neutrally as possible, but her tone was slightly tense.

She hoped that they'd just assume she was jealous of Elric's natural abilities, and while maybe she was just a bit, she actually admired him more than she envied him. But she wouldn't say that aloud, because her friends wouldn't appreciate her saying such a thing about a Slytherin, let alone one they were now seriously suspecting of being one of Voldemort's planted Death Eaters.

"But we don't know for sure," Harry said quietly, firmly, "and that's why we should keep an eye on him." he added very seriously.

Neither Ron nor she had any response to that, so they were quiet until they reached, and throughout, Herbology.

* * *

As it turned out, ten subjects was the maximum amount a student could do in a day, without needing to take weekend or night classes, that was information that Pansy had informed Ed of when they'd been walking to Herbology while he'd been looking over his class schedule again. He guessed he was lucky that at least Snape wasn't cruel enough to give him weekend classes too, he doubted he would have been able to let that slide like he was doing with the bogus overkill class schedule as it was.

And also, it wasn't so bad because the subjects that he was signed up for were more or less to his interest. Everything on the list besides Herbology and History of Magic were subjects that Ed didn't find completely insufferable. He didn't _need_ any of the knowledge, but he was lucky that he didn't have to sit through something as stupid as Divination or Care Of Magical Creatures every day, since he didn't believe in psychics and there were no dragons allowed at the school, those subjects weren't even worth pretending to be interested in.

Presently he was walking to his fourth morning period, Arithmancy, while most of the other teens went to lunch –the lucky bastards. A side effect of having a full class schedule, was that one of his hour long lunch recesses would only be a half hour, because instead of having a three period, lunch, three period, lunch, two period day like most other students, he had a four, lunch, three, lunch, three period day, the fourth period taking a half hour out of his first recess.

Fuck, he _hated_ school.

He'd been fortunate enough not to get lost so far that day because he'd been walking along with other students, namely the Slytherins, to the classes. But since there were no Slytherins he could see heading to Arithmancy, he was left to follow Granger at a safe distance, because Pansy had been indirectly helpful when she'd mocked 'that bloody know it all' for taking Arithmancy, so he knew following Granger would lead him where he needed to go.

Funny though, that Pansy hadn't mocked him about it…so there was that blatant nonsensical double standard.

If Granger noticed him trailing her from several meters away, she didn't show it, and once he arrived at the classroom he was pleased to find there were only six students in total, all from different years, and he was the only Slytherin. He was able to take a seat in the back of the room and at a good distance from the other students, and after completing the work for Arithmancy's period, he managed to do his Ancient Runes homework in the last ten minutes before he could finally go to lunch and eat something.

Yes, he hated school, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be good at it.

* * *

Roy sat in his dreary dungeon classroom with his booted feet up on the corner of his desk, holding his wand in his hands and looking it over meticulously. He'd discovered on the inside of his wand box the night before that his wand was apparently made of Walnut with _Unicorn_ hair, the box had also said it was twelve and a quarter inches long…and rigid. That end part had made him chuckle just a bit…because it sounded awfully suggestively worded.

Presently, after having eaten a sandwich and having drunk a cup of coffee for lunch, he was looking the wand over while trying to imagine what a real Unicorn might look like, supposing it actually existed. Roy had seen Unicorns drawn in fairytale stories back in Amestris when he'd been a young boy, but they were strictly fictional in his world.

Thinking of story books and Unicorns made him think of Elysia, and the fact that he had meant to visit Gracia sometime soon after the Promised Day to check on whether they were okay.

But work had become so busy in the weeks that followed, and he'd kept postponing the visit…and then he'd ended up there, in the magic world.

Roy sighed to himself at his upsetting train of thought, and then sat up straighter in his seat, feet still propped up on his desk, when students started filing into the classroom through the open door.

He remained seated until the noise settled down, and when he looked up once it seemed everyone was inside, having been previously aware of what his next class would be, he noticed a particular fair blonde head was unaccounted for. Edward wasn't in the class, only another two blondes, both closer to white-blonde, were present. A girl from Ravenclaw and boy from Slytherin, but Ed wasn't there.

Roy glanced around from where he sat at his desk, looking over all the students faces one by one. They hadn't seen him yet for a lesson and so they all seemed uncertain and nervous, looking at him as if his present state of sitting calmly and watching them intently made them uncomfortable…good.

Roy inhaled quietly when he finally looked away, twirling his wand around between his hands, appearing outwardly relaxed while trying not to worry about Ed being missing. They hadn't had any time to talk at all since they'd arrived at Hogwarts and Roy was getting antsier the longer they were unable to. The school and the magic world were overwhelming and a little reality check sounded more than good, some normal honest conversation too, about alchemy and familiar things, and definitely not including Unicorns.

Roy never thought he'd actually be looking forward to talking to Ed, who was usually never pleased to be in his company either. But of course, he couldn't do that in class anyway, so he'd have to find a non-suspicious way of achieving it.

Deciding to see if anyone had a clue where Ed was, he asked,

"Is everyone present?" firmly, in his military Colonel voice and he saw a few students flinch, others sitting up straighter. Roy took in everyone's reactions to his question and noticed a dark skinned boy from Slytherin glance toward the door, and then scratch his neck idly before he looked at another student beside him with raised eyebrows. And if Roy remembered correctly, which he did, they were the two teens that had been with Ed that morning.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer, Roy knew he couldn't appear overly interested because it would be suspicious, so he brought his legs down from the desk and sat forward. He was wearing his black robe and underneath it he had on black formal slacks, worn over his boots, along with a crisp white shirt.

And he was just about to stand up and start the lesson when Edward strode in, in a far too familiar and typically insubordinate manner, with a sandwich sticking out of his mouth, another in his hand and two books jammed under his arm.

Ah yes, the scene was so like déjà vu from back home Roy nearly face palmed. How many times Edward had come skidding or waltzing into his office ten to fifteen minutes late, with food, coffee or research papers on his person, for a briefing or meeting or anything of the like, he'd lost count.

He was tempted to let it go as he would have usually done back home, because he often couldn't be bothered with reprimanding the teen, but he knew he had a class watching, so he had to put on a teacherly show,

"You're late." he said stiffly, and all of the students sat stock still, looking between him and Ed as the blonde moved toward one of the high, large tables where the two familiar Slytherin boys and a skinny twin Slytherin female had settled at.

Edward spoke around what was in his mouth as he set his books down,

"I had to get lunch." he said in his usual ' _You got a problem with that?'_ kind of way, adding a ' _So bite me_ ' shrug, before he seemed to remember that he had an act to keep up. Roy watched Ed struggle to swallow when his masticated food suddenly stuck in his throat, "Uh, sorry professor." he added, clearing his throat before he glanced around the class, settling his gaze on the Slytherins, several of which were snickering.

Roy had the urge to, and so wished that he could, walk up to Ed and smack him upside his head like he'd done in the past –several times- when the teen particularly annoyed him. And he actually managed to get away with it most times, because Ed usually acknowledged that he was an asshole. But on rare occasions Ed would smack Roy back and then they'd get into an argument and yell about ' _not hitting superior officers_ ' and ' _you started it bastard_ ' and everyone in the office would completely ignore them, while Alphonse would tell Ed to behave himself in an exasperated tone…

…ah, Roy missed home.

"What's your name?" he dismissed the pleasant thoughts and played his role as a teacher, pretending not to know.

Edward sat down on a high stool and proceeded to stuff the second sandwich into his mouth expertly,

"Edf Elfric…" he said with a full mouth. Roy saw amusement in his eyes then and as the Slytherin group, along with a few other students, chuckled quietly, he narrowed his eyes slightly at Edward.

So this was to be their dynamic, he would be the professor who got shit from Edward Elric.

Not unexpected really, and hardly original.

Deciding to play the long game with Ed, which he _always_ won –because Ed was an impatient shit-, Roy gave the teen a very stern glare. The Fullmetal Alchemist was typically unfazed by that look though, so it was when Roy smiled at him insidiously, that the blonde looked suspiciously and warily at him. Having successfully unsettled Edward, he then turned his attention to the rest of the class, ready to go ahead with his planned lesson, ignoring Ed for the moment.

"My name is Professor Roy Mustang, and as you know, I will be your potions teacher-…"

"Duh…" one of the Slytherins commented, causing more snickers from the group. No doubt, they were taking the lead from Ed's disrespect, and Roy cut a sharp glance over just in time to see that it was a fat one who'd commented. He remembered him for later.

"…-however, my teaching methods are going to be different than what you're used to." he finished, exuding his authoritative demeanor easily. He stood up then, twirling his wand in one hand as he walked around to the front of his desk, "While you all have outstanding grades in this subject, that doesn't mean-…" he closed his mouth and clenched his jaw when two other students walked in late.

Right, he was starting to get pissed off.

"Sorry sir, Professor McGonagall said you were accepting Exceeds Expectations students." the dark haired boy with circular spectacles on his face immediately apologized, appearing genuinely rushed, and sounding slightly out of breath, like he'd hurried over. Roy stared at the pair a moment, gauging their sincerity before he turned back to his desk and picked up a page of paper with the students names on it,

"What are your names?" he asked evenly.

"Uh, Harry Potter, sir." the dark haired one said.

"Ron Weasley." the red haired one added, looking like he honestly didn't want to be there.

Roy looked over his class list, passed on to him via McGonagall from Snape, and true enough, the list only included students who had an [O] in potions. And the two students who'd just introduced themselves weren't on it, which meant that they wouldn't have been allowed into the class if Snape had been the Potions professor.

However, Roy was accepting a grade lower than Snape, and so their excuse for being late was valid enough,

"Very well, take a seat." he said, absently gesturing at them with his wand as he placed the sheet back down on his desk.

"Um, sir, I don't have a text book yet," Harry said, gesturing at his friend beside him, "and neither does Ron." and at this point the red head muttered something about ' _in that case he should probably just go'_.

Roy raised an eyebrow at them and glanced at a cupboard in the back of the large round room,

"I'm sure there are spares in the cupboard."

He watched as the two boys, Harry dragging the red head by his arm, made their way over to the cupboard, and then Roy turned back to the class, only to find Ed and the dark skinned boy talking quietly.

He made another mental note of disrespectful misbehavers and continued,

"As I was saying, having an outstanding grade doesn't necessarily mean you've mastered the process of potion making. Many of you have done very well but others have struggled to make good _quality_ potions, which is disappointing, because making a potion is very easy, it's as easy as basic chemistry or as easy as cooking," he shrugged, "depending on where your skill set lies."

A Gryffindor girl with long, curly, dirty blonde hair raised her hand and Roy nodded at her,  
"What exactly is chemistry, professor?" she asked quite seriously.

Roy blinked at the girl, and then glanced at the other blank faces on most of the students in the class. It wasn't the first time that day he'd received that question from the other classes, and he'd quickly caught on that magic folk knew pretty much nothing, like _zilch_ , about science,

"Your name is?"

"Lavender Brown, sir."

He took a second to look around at the other students again, but instead of just explaining it like he had been all morning, considering Ed was in that class, he took a different approach,

"Does _anyone_ here know anything about chemistry?" Roy specifically didn't look at Ed, although he intended to direct the question at the blonde when no one else would answer, knowing the teen hated being singled out and looking forward to it.

However, a brunette girl sitting at a different table, with a dark skinned girl, Harry and Ron, raised her hand and Roy heard a murmur of groans throughout the class, he also noted that a few students rolled their eyes. Even Ed put his face into his hand and smiled while shaking his head.

"Yes, miss…?" Roy asked her with a curious smile.

"Granger sir, Hermione Granger." she offered politely and he gestured for her to go on, "Chemistry is a muggle science, it is the study of matter, its properties and the changes it undergoes and causes." she sounded quite sure of herself, albeit a bit rehearsed, as if she was just repeating something she'd read somewhere.

So while she wasn't wrong, her answer was still too vague and didn't properly comprehend or allude to her actually _understanding_ chemistry. And comprehension was vital for what chemistry required and involved with regards to the successful or educational outcome of an equation, theory or experiment.

He raised his eyebrows, nodding slightly before he said,

"Well, yes…but there's really a lot more to it than that." he admitted, watching her confident expression falter.

Then, surprisingly, Ed piped up unprompted,

"Chemistry is a branch of _physical_ science, it's the study of the composition, structure, properties and change of matter." and Roy really didn't blame Ed for wanting to clarify after that vague answer from Hermione.

Having had to sit all morning in a room full of people who didn't understand the science that literally was a part of everyday life for them was sort of depressing.

Roy turned to look at Ed encouragingly, seeing that the teen glanced over at Granger before he went on,

"Its most prominent study is with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, like about how the properties of the chemical bonds are formed between atoms to create chemical compounds. It also studies interactions between various forms of energy, such as photochemical reactions, oxidation-reduction reactions, changes in phases of matter, and separation of mixtures, as well as properties of matter such as alloys or polymers, all needed to be considered for accurate results from an equation." he informed what directly related to the foundation of alchemic studies and then just to be a smart ass, Roy guessed, Ed added, "Chemistry also bridges other natural sciences like physics, geology and biology."

Ed's answer left mouths hanging open, especially for Hermione, who looked like she'd just discovered her cookie jar was empty and that Ed had eaten all of them right in front of her. It wasn't hard to figure out from all of the students' reactions to her earlier, that she was probably usually the class smarty pants. So for Ed to floor her basic description with an answer like that, likely hit her where it hurt…

…and Roy wondered if it'd been happening all day. Ed did have a tendency to show off.

"That is correct, mister?" Roy asked in a neutral tone, requesting Ed's name a second time.

"Elric." the teen answered plainly that time, smirking slightly as he leaned on the desk.

"Why are we learning about muggle science, this is a potions class?" the white-blonde haired Slytherin boy asked with a scowl, saying the world 'muggle' with ample loathing and looking Roy up and down as if he were unworthy.

Roy just smirked in his naturally superior and condescending way,

"I wouldn't presume to think I could teach you kids something as complicated as chemistry." yes, that was an insult, and many of the expressions of offense passing through the class told Roy that they all knew it. And good, it meant they weren't too stupid after all, "Except maybe Elric and Granger." he added just for some extra enjoyment, watching as the white-blonde Slytherin boy scowled even deeper at being mocked _and_ excluded.

"However, the _principles_ of chemistry will help you to understand potion making better, and in turn, improve your overall results in my class." he smiled at the offended students, "Now, in easier to understand terms, what Elric just explained, is that in order to successfully create a precise and correct outcome from mixing together several different ingredients, it is best to first understand their physical make up and what their function and reaction to each other will be." he leaned back against his desk and crossed his ankles, still twirling his wand occasionally, "You should understand a chemical or ingredient _fully_ , before you add it to other chemicals and ingredients, so that you will know beforehand, or at least have an idea, of how each one will react with another." Roy took a silent breath and went on, "You will also learn to be able to judge how you can _alter_ chemicals or ingredients in order to get different results, how your alterations might affect or change your result, and how whatever you're making will eventually become a one hundred percent properly prepared potion, in the end." he folded his arms across his chest and cocked an eyebrow as he looked around, surveying the damage.

Several students were taking notes with some urgency and many frowns, including Granger, Ed's dark skinned friend and the white-blonde haired boy who had been so sure Roy was unworthy of teaching them just a moment before. With a smirk Roy turned back to his desk and walked around to the side of it, flipping the chalkboard over so that what he'd written there previously was now visible to the class,

"Can anyone tell me what potion these ingredients make up?"

Hermione glanced at Edward, and so Roy did too because she had, and upon seeing that the blonde was apparently asleep –dammit, he was going to _kill_ Ed- she raised her hand and he nodded at her,

"The Draught of Living Death."

"Right." he nodded with a smile and she beamed, "Now, there are quite a few difficult and lengthy potions you will have to learn to make this year, but this is the one I'd like you all to work on today." the students all started to shift and pick their cauldrons up from the floor to begin working, and Roy raised his wand like a chalkboard pointer, "Ah, no, no…you're not going to be _making_ the potion just yet." he stopped their actions with a smirk, all of the students stopping to blink owlishly at him, "On each desk there's a book, the title is in old French but translated it means ' _A Finer Art of Potions; Perfection'_."

And boy, had looking the French language and it's translations up, been a pain in the ass.

Ed though, looked both disbelieving and impressed.

He waited as the students, three to four at each desk, all looked at the books on their desks and moved closer to one another to get a look at it,

"There were only five of those books in the library so you have to share; its contents are in English." he waited until he saw that everyone had it open, even Ed, who he'd thought to be asleep, was sitting up and looking at it with his desk mates.

Roy stepped away from the chalkboard and continued,

"That book has never been included in your curriculum before because your textbooks give you basic and generic directions on how to brew a potion, but the book in front of you now, is a book detailing the finer points of the ingredients and _how_ and _why_ they do what they do, in a potion." there was a murmur, and Hermione looked like she wished she had the book all to herself.

"So for this lesson, you will write me a one page repo-…uh, I mean, essay," Ed was smirking into his hand at the slip up, "detailing for me, what you think each of these ingredients do individually-…" Roy gestured to the board with his wand, "…and how and why they'd react together to make an effective Draught of Living Death potion." he smirked, "Everyone who successfully decodes the recipe-…" Ed was grinning now, "…will be allowed to actually brew the potion in our next class." he finished.

Roy was pretty chuffed with himself, he hadn't had to endure any specific educational teachings since he'd graduated high school, learned alchemy fundamentals in university and then his fire alchemy, and that had been hellish and terribly complex. He was rusty to say the least, when it came to academics, so when it came down to making up a legitimate teaching plan, he was proud of his work. And just like the classes before his present one, all of the students looked lively and interested in what he was teaching. It was going well…

But that was not the very most important thing he'd managed to get done that day. He'd been in the library looking for books on runes and symbols and that world's alchemy during the first part of his lunch, specifically so that he and Ed could go through them together the first chance they got.

The books were currently piled up under his desk.

He let his gaze linger on some of the students as they focused on their work. The white-blonde haired teen was reading intently with an intense look on his face, while the other Slytherins at his desk were discussing something they'd written down. The dark skinned boy sitting with Ed had the book all to himself and Ed was actually writing, which Roy found surprising.

Hermione's table of students was mostly all interested in the new potions book, but it was obvious that she didn't want to have to share. The only person at her table not interested in the new book, but seemingly more interested in the textbook with the generic recipes, was Harry Potter. Ah well, it was not as if Roy actually cared if anyone passed, he just needed to come across as a believable teacher. That was the mission.

He shifted to sit on his desk for a while, twirling his wand idly as he watched everyone work, and after ten minutes Ed got up and brought a piece of paper over to him with quite a bit of his writing on it. The blonde received many glares and looks of envy from the other students, and Hermione looked deeply stressed.

But there was no need for them to worry, because Ed -who Roy noticed looked a bit pale and tired when he'd stepped close enough- would not be doing his work. And the Colonel knew it even before he looked at the practically illegible scrawl on the paper Ed has handed to him, which pretty much amounted to nothing relevant, while being riddles of words, schematics, equations and doodles that no one there would be able to make sense of. He nearly rolled his eyes and crumpled the page up, but he knew he had to keep up appearances.

It was fine anyway, since it was all for the pretense, Ed just needed to appear as though he was working. Roy dutifully pretended to skim the page and then turned around and set it face down on his desk before he continued to sit and wait. Slowly but surely other students brought forward their written work and he collected each one, and Hermione was surprisingly seventh to come forward, but her page was filled so thickly with scrawl it was obvious she'd wanted to write more than one page.

Sigh, an overachiever.

When the lesson duration was finally drawing to a close and Roy had received the last essay from a Slytherin student, he addressed the class again,

"I'd like to request that any student who can, should purchase that book for themselves, it'll be a great help in your potions making going forward. Also, because of the nature of chemistry being about mixing together compounds and elements that harmonize well for best results, I'd like everyone to choose a potions partner by the next class, you'll be working in pairs going forward." he informed and he checked his pocket watch as everyone looked around at each other with either excited or worried expressions.

Teenagers were troublesome.

"That's it for the lesson..." Roy smirked slightly, watching as the students hesitated to get up, and when he spoke again and they all settled back, "…on a different note, I'm giving 10 points to Hermione for recognizing the potion's ingredients, and 10 points to Lavender Brown for being the only student whose handwriting is properly legible." there was a collective groan of complaints from the other students. "And I'm deducting 30 points from Slytherin for several students' ill behavior and speaking out of turn," he kept smiling while the Slytherins glared at him, "and an additional 30 points taken from Slytherin as well as an hour's detention in my office after school to **Elric** ," Edward jerked his head up off the desk at the sound of his name, "for being late, disrespectful and _asleep_ in my class."

The teen blinked slowly as he sat up before frowning and mumbling ' _bastard_ ',

"Make that two hours, my office is on the sixth floor Elric, don't be late." Roy smiled as obnoxiously as he possibly could as Ed glared at him.

But Roy knew that it was mostly part of the act, he'd been on the receiving end of enough of Ed's glares to know when they were real, and since by now the blonde had caught on to Roy's impromptu plan of getting them to have time to meet without anyone getting suspicious, he wasn't really angry about the detention.

It was quite a neat plan actually, two hours of 'detention time' for them to discuss and read the books he'd taken out of the library, and to try and figure out where each of them were at so far information-wise, it seemed a decent way to get things done for right then. The points deduction though, would make Ed's peers upset with him, which was why Roy had done it. Little revenges and all that…

The students got up noisily then and filed out, and when the class was finally empty Roy sighed. He had several more classes that day and his next class was third years, and he wasn't sure yet whether he thought younger or older kids were more of a pain to deal with. With another sigh, he turned and walked over to the blackboard to erase the potion ingredients and replace it with a year appropriate one.

As the chalk dust clung to his fingers unpleasantly and the 'tak-tak' of his writing filled the empty classroom, Roy made a mental note that as soon as he was back home and everything was back to normal, he'd take a much needed vacation.

* * *

The next two classes went by in a boring daze for Ed; they were History of Magic and then Charms.

He took a half-decent nap right in the back of the History of Magic class and only woke up when Nott and Blaise nudged him for the change of period. Pansy had been shaking her head at him, looking amused and Malfoy had seemed grumpier and more distracted as the day went on.

In Charms, Ed had laid low, keeping all attention off himself and letting Hermione have the floor and answer any and all questions the teacher presented them with. He noticed that she did look over at him a few times before raising her hand, and he'd either ignored her at the time, or he'd stared back flatly.

Either way, she'd taken it as a ' _go ahead, I won't interrupt you_ ' sign, which had been quite amusing actually.

* * *

During the second recess, Ed was able to eat properly.

He settled for drinking OJ since coffee was not served for students at lunch –and what a dumbass fucking rule that was-, and he ate a little bit of everything on offer.

He also took the time to glare at Mustang discreetly across the Great Hall, where the Colonel sat sipping coffee at the teachers table. The smug bastard had been enjoying himself way too much playing teacher, although, at least he was an impressive bastard-teacher. Seriously, Ed had been quite surprised by Mustang's approach to teaching potions, because not only was it a legitimate way to do things, but it was honestly going to help the students achieve better grades in the end if they took his lessons seriously.

So yeah, Mustang was _actually_ teaching them, and it was almost funny how they'd fit so well into their rolls, Ed as a student and Mustang as a teacher, it was bizarre. But of course, their reality was still looming over them every minute.

Presently Ed was eating a roll filled with some ham, cheese, lettuce leaves and tomato slices, and he was thinking about Mustang's clever detention plot. He hadn't seen it coming –because he'd never experienced anything as ridiculous as school detention in his life-, but the minute the older man pegged him with the detention card instead of a higher house point deduction, Ed had seen right through it.

He'd also immediately felt a bit better, knowing he and Mustang would see each other later and be able to talk.

And being in Mustang's class had actually centered him somewhat, being around the older man's familiar presence –his smooth, even voice, demeanor and generally stable presence- had settled a nagging sense of being unmoored that Ed had been unconsciously feeling. But he did have to watch himself around Mustang in front of other people though, having felt so comfortable so quickly, he'd nearly slipped up at first when he'd spoken to Mustang with casual familiarity.

Ed sighed as he finished off his third roll and picked up another, taking a bite out of it just when Pansy spoke up,

"So, what dya' think of the new potions teacher?" Pansy asked the group from where she sat across from Ed and Blaise, Nott wasn't in their company right then.

Crabbe shrugged as he stuffed his face and Goyle didn't even look up, so Ed answered,

"He's a bastard." he offered earnestly, and Blaise snorted a laugh and then smirked,

"S'not so bad I think. I've always liked potions, it's a bit weird that he's teaching muggle science or whatever, but if he can really teach us to get better at potions, I'm not gonna fault im'." he said with a shrug, before taking a bite out of his own lunch.

Malfoy, sitting beside Pansy, had been staring at his food -looking nauseous and irritable-, but at the newly ventured topic he raised his head and looked at Ed, grey eyes narrowed,

"How did you know so much about that muggle rubbish, Elric?" he asked quietly.

Edward wasn't ruffled by the accusing tone, he just swallowed his sandwich bite and cleaned his teeth with his tongue for a moment, giving Draco his full eye contact when he answered,

"Because, I'm diversely educated." he said flatly, "Knowledge is power, _Malfoy_." and it was absolute truth.

"Power, hm…I never thought muggles could be good for anything." Malfoy pulled his face and picked up one of his own sandwiches hesitantly, and then something belatedly occurred to him and he gave Ed a sharp glare, "Did you just imply that I'm not educated?"

Crabbe and Goyle snickered and when Malfoy looked at them angrily they nearly choked on their food.

Ed just shrugged and picked up his cup of OJ,

"I never said that you weren't. I wouldn't know," he said neutrally, "I just know that I am." but he was smirking.

Pansy glanced between the two of them with a raised eyebrow, probably sensing impending tension.

"Bloody arrogant, that's what you are." Malfoy said stiffly and took a harsh bite out of his sandwich, looking away from them all, now more openly irritated.

"Aren't we all though?" Blaise added with a grin, his slanted eyes narrowing with mirth, "We're bloody **Slytherins** , every reason to be, yeah?"

Ed kept smirking, Pansy smiling slyly now too, and Draco spared Blaise a glance before his scowl lessened, and apparently his ego was appeased by that. The atmosphere was more or less good between them all after that, and Ed found he liked that they didn't need to be too kind worded or sensitive with one another, it made interacting with them easier, since he had a natural talent for offending people.

"Right, and now we've got our own Granger, too…or actually, an even smarter version." Pansy said, still smirking as she sipped her pumpkin juice. Draco gave her a scolding look that Ed didn't understand until Blaise spoke up,

"Don't compare im' to that mudblood, Pans, you're insulting him." he shook his head, smile faltering.

Ed took the opportunity to ask,

"What the fuck is a mudblood, anyway?"

They all looked at him suddenly with varying expressions –surprise to amusement. Even Crabbe and Goyle looked up from their food, frowns on their fat faces, and Ed didn't know if it was because he'd cussed, or whether it was because he didn't know what a mudblood was.

But then Blaise answered,

"Homeschooled, right? So you never ad' any interaction with em', probably." the teen reasoned, and when everyone seemed to accept that explanation, Ed just cocked an eyebrow and looked at them expectantly.

"A mudblood is a filthy witch or wizard born from muggle parents." Malfoy answered, and he said it with so much disgust that Ed actually narrowed one eye at him. Damn, that was some serious loathing for a teenager to have, it was the kind that was more than likely indoctrinated into him from a young age by his elders.

And with the whole pure blood thing the Slytherins had going on, Ed assumed that was likely the case.

"So you call Granger 'mudblood', because she was born from non-magical people?" he asked evenly, as he picked his gloves up from where he'd left them next to his eating space.

"Exactly." Pansy said surely.

"So…it's something that she, and others like her, have absolutely no control over?" Ed asked with false nonchalance as he pulled his gloves on and flexed his fingers inside the smooth white material, letting his indirect observation shine it's own light on how fucking stupid they sounded.

When no answer came, he looked up from his hands at all five of them staring at him and he blinked,

"What?" he asked testily.

"Are you some kind of muggle lover?" Malfoy asked darkly.

Edward rolled his eyes at that accusation, knowing that they all knew what he'd pointed out was true, and they had no other response to his reasoning other than anger and offense, like the stupid children they were.

"It's all the same to me," he shrugged, purposely dismissive of Malfoy's glare, "I don't care who anyone is or where they come from, and it's not my problem either." he glanced at each of them, "I just wanted to know what it meant, and I now I do." Ed stood up then, taking his pocket watch out and checking the time.

He estimated that he could manage a trip to the lavatory to take a piss before lunch was over, and so he stepped out from the seat, his robes dragging behind him off the seat before he picked up his books and started walking away without acknowledging any one of them.

Ed pulled at the annoying tie knot around his neck as he walked out of the Great Hall and made his way down the left corridor to where he knew the nearest men's room was.

"Oi, Ed, wait up…!" Blaise called from behind him, and Ed glanced back but didn't stop, only slowing his walk slightly so Blaise could catch up to him quicker.

When the taller boy caught up and fell into step beside him, Blaise let out a short laugh,

"I think you just blew Draco's mind, mate." he shook his head, slipping his free hand in his pocket.

"What?" Ed asked shortly, placing his own free hand in his slacks pocket.

"Wot' you said, about 'mudbloods' avin' no control over being born into non-magic families...I don' think ees' ever thought of it like that, I know I aven't." he admitted, "After you walked off, he started sulking and Pans didn't look very happy either." Blaise laughed again as he shook his head, clearly amused.

"It's just logical thinking." Ed said with a shrug, and then he smirked, "You know, _educated_ thinking." he jibed, and Blaise laughed again,

"Mate, I think you're the only Slytherin I know who talks to Draco like that." he shook his head with a smile.

Ed raised his eyebrows, openly indifferent about it,

"Draco's just another person, like I said, it's all the same to me." he repeated as they approached the bathrooms and walked in.

"Yeah, but no one usually dares to say anything because of who his father is." Blaise commented, voice a tad more serious then. Ed left him standing just inside the entrance, leaning against the wall there and walked over to the rows of mirrors and basins, balancing his books between two basins before he pulled his gloves off and set them atop the books.

He walked over to a urinal in the empty lavatory and as he unfastened his pants he asked,

"Who's his father?"

"Wow, mate, you're really out of touch," it was said in subtle disbelief, "his dad is Lucius Malfoy, bloody right hand Death Eater to the cause of you-know-who." Blaise's voice had lowered significantly, but in the quiet lavatory Ed could hear him clearly.

Ed stared at the wall with wide interested eyes for a second, and once he was done relieving himself, he shook off, tucked himself in and fastened his pants, making sure that his expression was completely neutral before he turned around. He headed over to the basin next to his books and opened the tap,

"I guess I am out of touch." he said it as if it were a trivial detail to him, not even commenting on the mention of a Death Eater or of the feared 'dark lord' that was all the rage.

When he was done washing his hands, Ed dried them off absently on his pant legs and then he reached for his gloves and started to pull them on. He was curious and interested in hearing more about it though, because if Draco's father was a Death Eater and the Slytherins all had such a bad reputation, it stood to reason that it was because they were somehow all either involved with the big bad by family association, or were at the very least supporters of the 'you-know-who' guy.

"I'll say…" Blaise mumbled, and then after a pause he cleared his throat, "I was wondering about you though, Ed." he said just as Ed grabbed up his books and started to walk over to him.

As they left the lavatory together, Ed asked,

"Wondering what?" he glanced at Blaise, who hesitated before leaning a bit closer to Ed,

"I thought for sure you were in with im', with you-know-who." he said very quietly, glancing around as they passed other students walking around during lunch.

Ed raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't respond right away. And as they walked along, heading in the general direction of the nearest courtyard, Ed decided to approach the situation ambiguously,

"Why's that?" he kept his tone neutral, not giving away whether Blaise's suspicions were valid or not.

Blaise shrugged facially,

"Cause' most prominent pure-blood families are all in with im', Draco's family, the Goyle's and the Crabbe's, even Theodore's father is a Death Eater." he was whispering since the courtyard was relatively busy.

Ed made a face,

"Who's Theodore?" he glanced up at Blaise as they crossed the courtyard to enter the next corridor.

Ed was more or less just going wherever Blaise was leading because Transfiguration was next and the taller boy would know where the class was.

Blaise rolled his eyes,  
"Seriously, mate?" he asked with a confused smile, and when Ed shrugged, Blaise shook his head, "Theodore _Nott_." he was smirking.

And okay, so that was Nott's name, but Ed still didn't know Crabbe or Goyle's first names, and he'd only just learned Potter's name was Harry and Weasley's name was Ron, and even that Granger's name was Hermione, and that was only because Mustang had needed introductions in potions class.

His peers names weren't important anyway, and it certainly wasn't as interesting as finding out that almost his entire group of new 'friends' had Death Eater –criminal- fathers, who all worked for the man who was trying to start a war…it was all so convenient…and pretty fucked up.

Suddenly, Ed felt like he'd stepped right in the middle of a shit storm just by being a Slytherin, and if Blaise had suspected he was somehow in with you-know-who (he honestly needed to know that guy's name soon), then it stood to reason that other people just assumed so too.

Still not denying or confirming Blaise's suspicion, Ed asked,

"What about you?" glancing at the taller teen as they walked through the busier corridor.

Blaise's smirk didn't falter, even as he shrugged.

It was as vague as Ed had been about his own –nonexistent- affiliation, so neither of them had revealed whether they actually had any sort of interest or association with you-know-who…but, they'd breached the subject, and Ed suspected that the conversations about it in future might come a little easier, and he'd be able to glean more information.

They dropped the subject for right then though, because they'd arrived at McGonagall's classroom, and they walked inside in comfortable silence, finding seats with the Slytherin students already present whilst other students continued to trail in.

* * *

Edward **did not** like Transfiguration...

…especially not when the very first subject written on McGonagall's blackboard was _Human Transfiguration_.

He was clenching his teeth painfully the entire time as he listened to her explain that 'it was difficult to transfigure a person' and that it would be 'tested at an N.E.W.T level'. And her introductory speech aside, it was _even_ worse somehow that everything she was saying didn't seem to _bother_ anyone.

McGonagall continued with her lesson, talking casually about transforming a person into an entirely different form, anything from a different outward appearance, to an **inanimate** object…and _that_ was just ridiculously fucking unnatural, the idea so disturbing to him that it made Ed's skin crawl. And it wasn't that he thought it was impossible to do, because since coming to the magic world, Ed had realized and was coming to terms with the fact that he could quite literally do anything, including what she was talking about, but there were some things that were just _wrong,_ and turning living beings into an object was one of them.

It didn't matter if you could do it, you just shouldn't, never on a living thing, **never**.

Having had to bond Alphonse's soul to armor had been bad enough, the talking hat at the ceremony had been even worse, but to just plainly make a living, breathing, intelligent, flesh and blood being into something…inorganic and insensate…ugh…

Ed said nothing though, listening intently and learning that apparently the previous year, they'd practiced animal transfiguration, and Ron Weasley's rat had been **half** transformed into a _cup_. And when everyone in the class had laughed in memory about how the rat had squeaked loudly and looked so _funny_ , Ed had heard his teeth clicking for how tightly his jaw was clenched, because all Ed could imagine was that the mouse had been in pain, with half its organs transmuted into something unnatural, and that the rest of its mangled insides would have been bleeding.

At that point, his hand had clenched so tightly on the thin overlapping edge of the desk -which he hadn't realized he was holding- that the wood had bent and made an audible creaking almost-cracking sound…and immediately a hush fell over the class and they all turned in their seats to look at him.

McGonagall was staring at him and her eyes had widened slightly in surprise along with everyone else, and Ed didn't know why everyone looked so shocked at first, until he registered that whatever expression he had on his face was probably unnerving, if not plainly, furiously intimidating.

"Is something wrong, Mister Elric?" McGonagall asked, her voice tense but concerned, and she had a worried look on her face, but whether it was for him or because of him, Ed couldn't guess. What he did know was that he was seething internally, and he felt extremely tightly coiled, his skin hot and cold…it felt a lot like when he'd been fighting Father, or just before that, when Pride had tried to invade his body.

…he felt _dangerous._

Ed knew that he needed to calm down and he swallowed with an audible click, easing his clenching jaw and slowly releasing the desk flap edge, which creaked loudly again, the lines in the wood under his hand now visibly stressed and near cracked. One of the twin Slytherin girls gasped quietly and Blaise leaned away from him just a bit when they saw it.

Ed took in a deep but quiet breath, looking only at McGonagall when he parted his lips to speak,

"…trans-…formation…of living creatures is…unnatural." he said as calmly as possible, but his tone was steely.

McGonagall blinked a few times, looking somewhere between confused and shocked by his statement, but after a moment and a glance at the rest of the class, she inclined her head to look at him with what he guessed was meant to be an honest, reassuring expression,

"I assure you Mister Elric, that nothing unnatural occurs when using transfiguration." she said very seriously.

Ed had had the same problem with swallowing that bullshit line from Snape during his O.W.L's, when he hadn't been willing to vanish the damn cat, so instead he'd transmuted it from one place to another, something that he'd never have been able to with alchemy had it not been for the magic energy's Philosopher's Stone like quality. But he'd done it at the time, because he'd trusted the science, his mind and alchemy, but even that had felt wrong.

Still, the cat had been fine because he'd trusted his own abilities, had known that he could easily recreate a living creature in it's _natural_ form with alchemy, so long as he had sufficient alchemic – or magical- power to follow it through, however wrong it felt to do so. But magic had no explanation for it, where the living creature would just disappear and reappear, the person executing the spell not knowing _where_ it went to, or whether it was safe there… and that bothered him. Magic was too careless and half-baked.

As it was, the books he'd read had stated that the vanished objects or creatures went into a state of 'non-being' during the spell, and while it didn't sound like pain or suffering, it was largely inconclusive and was still wrong to just do that to someone or something. Similarly, Transfiguration also offered no explanation to the effects such magic had on living things, and so Ed couldn't just trust it.

McGonagall walked closer to where he sat, glancing at the damaged desk edge beneath his carefully relaxed grip, and her concerned expression deepened,

"You had to vanish a kitten to pass your O.W.L Mister Elric, and as I understand it, you vanished a full grown cat, nonverbally." she pointed out, making a few students murmur and gasp in surprise.

Ed couldn't deny that, nor could he explain how he'd actually done it, so as he looked up at her, he talked around the specifics and broached the problem that he really had,

"Yeah, I did." more murmuring, "I knew what I was doing though, but what happens to the animal or person being transformed, when someone fuc-…" he cut himself off, having nearly sworn, and he exhaled sharply seeing that her eyes nearly popped out of her head, "…when someone screws up the spell?" he reworded, giving Ron Weasley a pointed look, and the teen glared at him weakly.

"They can easily be changed back," McGonagall stated, glancing at Ron worriedly, "they will not be stuck that way."

Ed clenched his teeth briefly, irritated that she was missing the fucking point,

"But what about the time they spend in between forms, in an _unnatural_ state, even for a few seconds…are they in pain, do you even know?" he asked her, holding eye contact intently.

The class murmured again at his words, and her eyes darted around at how the other students were looking at her now, some of them frowning and considering what he was saying.

McGonagall turned back to Ed quickly, looking as composed as she could under his hard gaze,

"They are in no pain, Mister Elric, much like with the Imperius Curse…" the students murmured some more when she brought that up, "…they don't feel any kind of pain, not before, during or after the transfiguration." she gave him a stern look, certain of herself.

Edward took a breath, thinking back to what he'd read about the Imperius Curse. It was an illegal curse in the magic world, which allowed complete control to be had over a person who had the curse cast upon them by another. The subject supposedly went into a state similar to non-being, sort of like they became brain dead or partially comatose for a temporary period of time.

"You know that for sure?" he asked her calmly, with narrowed eyes.

Instead of answering him, McGonagall abruptly shifted and Edward sat back quickly in his seat when right in front of his eyes, McGonagall morphed disturbingly, shrinking and changing within seconds before she landed on his desk…in the form of a nimble cat, a healthy, furry, grey and blacked striped cat, her ears twitching and her green eyes staring intelligently and consciously straight at him.

A few of the students snickered and looked smugly at him, because they felt she'd made her point, but despite being impressed and surprised, Ed recovered from the unexpected maneuver quickly, and his anger and doubt remained,

"That still doesn't mean that you know how the non-successful spells feels." he stated plainly, relaxing in his seat as he stared at the cat-teacher.

Edward was not rattled or freaked out at having seen her change. He'd seen human chimeras that transformed, hell, he'd fought alongside Heinkel and Darius for weeks leading up to and on the Promised Day, so he'd seen worse and uglier transformations quite frequently. He'd also seen Envy change form, which, on a scale of one to absolutely fucked up, was off the scale. What was impressive about McGonagall's change though, was that it had been so fluent, and unlike the chimeras, who had said it hurt to transform, she'd seemed unfazed.

Cat McGonagall somehow managed to give him an affronted look with her cat face, before she leapt off the desk again and changed fluently back into her human form,

"Miss Granger," she walked straight over to Hermione's desk, "we discussed human transfiguration at length before now, do you trust it?" she addressed the wide eyed brunette.

Hermione nodded quickly and sat up straight, ever at the ready,

"Yes, professor."

Pansy whispered something sarcastic to one of the twins and they snickered, but Edward was paying attention to the professor, waiting for McGonagall to get to the point.

"Would you assist me with a demonstration for Mister Elric, since he doesn't seem to…trust me." she said wearily and gave Ed a look intended to be scolding, and of course, he didn't even flinch. When Hermione nodded, McGonagall extracted her wand from her robe, "Thank you, dear…I'll be transfiguring your hand _unsuccessfully_ into this cup, alright." she waved her wand and a cup appeared on Hermione's desk, right next to her hand.

"Oh-of course…" the brunette said with another nod…but she seemed distinctly uncertain. Edward noticed it, and he knew that it meant that none of the students actually knew whether or not it might be painful, and yet Hermione was going to go ahead and blindly trust McGonagall's word.

Ed couldn't fault her for that entirely, because he remembered always trusting Izumi's word, but that didn't mean he'd never questioned or challenged her when she'd said something he didn't trust or fully understand, no matter how many times she'd kicked his ass for bombarding her with questions or arguing with her in the middle of a lesson.

Everyone in the classroom fell silent as they waited, shifting eagerly and curiously in their seats, trying to get a better look as McGonagall raised her wand and Hermione placed her hand lightly around the small goblet. The teen glanced around nervously, her eyes resting on Edward for a second longer than everyone else and Ed felt bad for her, but he knew that if she did get hurt, then his point would be made and he'd at least be able to fix her hand, or McGonagall would.

Most of the Slytherins had grins on their faces, obviously hoping it'd hurt. Annoyed, Ed glanced at Blaise to see if he wore the same expression, but the dark skinned boy was just watching intently, looking curious.

Wordlessly, McGonagall waved her wand over Hermione's hand and the brunette stiffened, and even the red head, Ron, looked like he was holding his breath as the spell was wordlessly cast.

After a short few seconds of morphing, the class was silent and still and everyone was staring at the cup, which was now fused with Hermione's hand, the top half of the metal seemingly molded into and through her fingers and half of her palm. The was a subtle tremble in Hermione's amalgamated fingers, but when McGonagall gestured for her to show Ed specifically, she raised her hand and turned it over a bit, more or less palm up to where he could see it.

She was sitting two rows further up than he was, so he leaned forward some to get a good look and she turned in her seat to accommodate a better angle. Ed could see clearly then that her hand was merged with the cup and how her fingers were stuck a certain distance apart, but she was able to move them, and when he looked into her face, he saw no signs of pain or discomfort.

"Does it hurt?" he asked her seriously.

She blinked twice before shaking her head and looking at her hand,

"N-no…" she managed a pretty and seemingly relieved smile as she looked back at him, "…not at all."

The class exhaled in unison –including sturdy old McGonagall-, everyone relieved except the Slytherins, probably. When the moment of tension had eased, McGonagall fixed Ed with an expectant look and one of those teacher-like smiles, and Ed, satisfied and trusting in Hermione's honesty that she wasn't hurt, sat back in his seat and raised his hands in assent that McGonagall was right. Edward felt personally relieved too, and knowing that it was safe, he could now go forward in the Transfiguration class for as long as he might need to.

He tried his best to keep himself from smirking as the class settled down again, feeling a chill, a thrilling one, zip down his spine as he thought about human transfiguration in the magic world, and of all the things that were possible when the physical laws no longer applied. The feeling was almost stiflingly exciting and Ed wriggled his metal toes a few times inside his boot, now more than ever considering just reconstructing himself a new leg from nothing, quickly running out of reasons not to.

It would be so easy…it'd break the rules and laws and everything, but that was back home, it didn't affect where he currently was, in a world where people changed literally from one form to another, animal or inanimate without any trouble. Anything was possible… **anything.**

The idea should not have excited him so thoroughly, but it did.

"Alright," McGonagall arrested everyone's attention with a quick clap of her hands, "now that your concerns have been put to rest Mister Elric, the class shall continue as planned." she said loudly. She'd undone the spell cast on Hermione's hand and she turned and walked to the front of the class to continue with her lesson. Edward tuned her out, letting his mind drift to more complex thoughts, because human transfiguration was just the magic version of human transmutation, except way sloppier, and Edward could do it with his eyes closed…especially now that nothing was standing in his way.

* * *

Hermione, Ron and Harry walked from Transfiguration together, as usual, and the two boys were complaining about how much homework McGonagall had given them, as usual. Hermione on the other hand, was distracted by her thoughts of the new Slytherin teen who had indirectly taught them all something new that day. Before he'd broached the subject in class, she'd only briefly thought about it in the past and had never really allowed herself to worry over it, but everyone had become anxious after he'd mentioned it, and with good reason really.

And because of his insistence on the subject, McGonagall had not only appeased his concerns, but also a lot of other students too, well, maybe all except for the Slytherins, who generally had no compassion to speak of. She frowned lightly to herself, thinking that the fact that Edward Elric was a Slytherin both made sense and didn't, because sometimes when she looked at him, he came across like a proper Slytherin, wearing the uniform so well with an unpleasant expression on his face befitting of his student house.

Then other times, like when he'd showed so much concern for living creatures just earlier, it hadn't fit him. Because someone who cared so much about a living being couldn't possibly be a Death Eater or affiliated with Voldemort, it was inconsistent with bad wizards' basic pathology.

With an internal sigh, Hermione glanced at Harry and Ron walking beside her and considered bringing up her doubts with them, but the thought flew out of her mind when Lavender Brown caught up with them and walked around so that when she stopped in front of them, the trio stopped walking too.

But Lavender's eyes were only on Ron,

"Hi, Ron." she smiled coyly, and barely glanced at Harry and Hermione before she was looking at Ron again.

"Uh, hi Lavender." Ron said with a subtle catch in his voice and a confused look on his face.

"Hi…" she said again, and Hermione frowned in irritation then, looking from Lavender's love struck expression to Ron's clueless one, "…I just wanted to ask if you'd like to be my potions partner?" she asked with a beaming grin, holding her books close to her chest and tilting her head a bit.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat when she heard the question, because she had completely forgotten about finding a potions partner since that morning, but at the time when Professor Mustang had mentioned it, her first thought had been that she'd ask Ron to be hers.

Hermione watched as Ron's eyes lit up and he got that smug look on his face that he usually had when he figured that he'd done something right,

"Oh, yeah, that sounds, yeah…it's a great idea." he nodded a few times too many and Hermione clenched her jaw slightly, eyes narrowing somewhat in disbelief of his stupidity.

Inconvenient, it was just inconvenient, that's all. Now she'd have to find someone else…

Distinctly not interested in hearing how Lavender _cooed_ out a reply, Hermione squared her shoulders and hugged her books tensely to her chest,

"I have a free period, I'm going to the library." she announced stiffly, making all three of them look at her before she turned and walked away, not waiting for a response from any of them as she hurried away to be alone with her thoughts.

* * *

 ** _Next Chapter: Ed and Hermione have a conversation, detention with Mustang happens and Voldemort has questions about stuff and thangs!_**


	9. Novem

**A/N: For the full summary, detailed tags and additional image content for this story, please visit the AO3 upload. FF limits several things.**

 **-I'd like to thank geek179 on AO3 for informing me that Luna Lovegood is in fact a year below Harry, Ron and Hermione. This was a terrible slip up on my part and a detail I honestly did not know (probably because I didn't read the books). So I would like to apologize to anyone who may have noticed that and thought it was intentional, it was not. I have since amended it!**

 **\- Please note, if you leave me a question in an unsigned review I cannot answer you.**

 **\- To address the concern that has been raised about the Ed/romance possibilities, I'd like to reassure readers that this story is NOT a love story and at no time will any characters be falling in love or making grand love based sacrifices or gestures. Tags for this story pertaining to the romance issue can be viewed on AO3.**

 **-Thanks to Manalfedz who beta'd this chapter.**

 **-And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed! I hope you'll continue to enjoy.**

* * *

 **Learning from the rush, detached from such and such**

* * *

So Snape wasn't such an asshole.

Edward decided that as he finally had a chance to check out the massive library of Hogwarts, something he hadn't realized he'd be able to do until Blaise had pointed out to him that the hour long second to the last period on his schedule was going to be a free period until January, because Apparition–the magic world's word for teleportation apparently–classes only started after Christmas. Ed didn't bother asking about whatever the fuck Christmas was because, well, he didn't care.

The schedule Snape had set him up with would at least give him a free 3 PM to 4 PM period every day for a while, just to do whatever he needed to. And then from 5:30 to 6 PM he'd have Astronomy with the rest of the students, which would end just a half hour before dinner time in the Great Hall. In many ways, the time constraints aside, it was a cake walk for Ed to manage a full day of –magic– school work, honestly, his hours in the military had always been far more stressful and the work more taxing and complicated too. So really, excluding the tedium and inconvenience of it, it wasn't so bad. It would have been simpler though, if he didn't need all the free time he could get to try and find a way home.

On the plus side, the library was well stocked, so Ed had a variety of new, never before read books to sort through. While admittedly, it didn't hold a candle to the National Central library, what it lacked in size it made up for in shelves upon shelves of books, filled to capacity and reaching high to the arching ceilings, it was a damn fine sight.

Presently, after he'd scanned the relevant aisles and had grabbed four thick tomes related to magic theory and the study of ancient runes, Ed made his way deep into the library–as he'd always done back home-, walking by the many aisles and rows until he found a secluded spot set up way in the back. He avoided the main table running down the center of the library in hopes of being left alone to read in private, so that he could get something useful done in the hour that he had free.

Ed settled into the spot he'd found, which was in an empty and somewhat dim, narrow aisle between two tall, dusty, dark wooden book shelves. He didn't even mind the cobwebs clinging to the shelves and lamps and a few of the book spines, because in his opinion, it gave the library character…while also revealing something telling about the students at the school and how much time they spent reading.

With his eyebrows slightly hiked up in amusement, Ed sat on one of the chairs lining the built-in shelf-desks and set his selection of books down before he glanced down the lengthy aisle to the open end. He was wary of Madam Pince popping up, as she seemed to lurk everywhere in the library looking for misbehaving students of any kind.

She'd given him the stink eye the moment he'd walked into the library, as if his mere presence alone made her suspicious that he was to do something heinous to the books. He figured it was because not too many Slytherins spent their time in the library; in which case, she'd just have to get used to him hanging around.

When he was sure she wasn't going to show up, Ed leaned back in the chair so that it was on its two back legs and kicked his own legs up to set his booted feet on the shelf-desk. And once he was comfortable, he reached for the first book on top of the pile, opened the large tome against the incline of his thighs and started reading…zoning out completely.

* * *

Hermione walked along slowly, one foot set carefully in front of the other with each step as she kept her eyes focused, scanning the shelves in the 'Reference' section of the library, searching for other books similar to the one that Professor Mustang had supplied them with during the potions lesson earlier that day. She'd already decided that as soon as the students were given the chance to go down to Hogsmeade, she'd be visiting 'Tomes and Scrolls' to purchase herself a copy of the newly introduced potions book. But until then, she wanted to broaden her knowledge on her own of the new and interesting branch of potions-making that Professor Mustang was teaching.

She had been sincerely floored during the lesson by Edward Elric's well-informed description of chemistry, which had trumped hers quite embarrassingly, much like she'd been floored and embarrassed by so much else about the new teen's apparent smarts in most of their classes that day. She'd been annoyed in the beginning, but then, finding out that Edward had his head in muggle studies in his free time–or however it was that he knew the things he did–she found it was actually more appealing than upsetting in the end, because it was so rare to come across a wizard or witch who 'deigned' to read muggle books like she often did.

And Hermione found that because of that little unique detail, she really couldn't dislike him all that much…

She paused in skimming the book spines when she found something, and reached for a title that seemed like it would be helpful in deciphering potion ingredients. She'd overlooked the book before, not seeing it as relevant, but now it held her interest intently and as she balanced it along with her two notebooks and astronomy textbook in the cradle of her arm, she was already opening it as she walked out of the aisle into the familiar maze of shelf passages.

As she walked, making her way to the center walkway, Hermione glanced up every so often to make sure that she didn't walk into anyone. And it was completely by chance that she glanced down an aisle that she was passing, and then it was completely by surprise that she slowed her pace to a halt at the sight of the very same blonde teen who had been lingering in her thoughts, where he was sitting, there in the back of the aisle… _reading_ in the _free_ period, as if it were a commonly done thing, reclining back with his feet up and his face completely concentrated.

Hermione blinked once and then again in disbelief, thinking of the fact that not one of her friends had ever spent their free periods in the library, not in all their years at Hogwarts. Instead it was usually spent loitering, snacking, fooling around, or getting in some free time on the Quidditch field before the last period or curfew of the day.

Yet again, Hermione found herself floored, and then, not sure what came over her –besides the allure of an extremely attractive and extremely intelligent boy spending his free time in the library reading books–she walked quietly, careful step after careful step, into the far back of the aisle that Edward Elric was sitting in by himself.

The library wasn't particularly full as it was, but so far in the back it was much, much quieter and musty smelling, and the late daylight filtering in through the high windows was dim at best when blocked out by the higher shelves.

She stopped her approach when she was just a meter away from him, and Hermione closed the book she'd been skimming and held her collective books to her chest, taking in a quick breath before she went ahead and cleared her throat…but the blond teen didn't even appear to notice. Managing not to frown, Hermione tried again, a bit louder that time, but still, he showed no sign of being aware of her standing there and trying to get his attention.

He was more or less facing her at a side angle though, and if he glanced even just so to his left he'd easily see her, or even just be able to see her in his peripheral, so irritably assuming that she was being ignored, Hermione tried one last time after a short and tense huff.

"Excuse me." she said audibly, but not discourteously loud since they were in a library.

He blinked, but not in acknowledgement of her, in fact he didn't even raise his eyes, just raised a hand to turn a page in the book he was reading.

Hermione clenched her fists in frustration and exasperation at his blatant rudeness, and as she often did when her buttons were pressed, she lost her not so passive temper and said a bit loudly and tersely,

"Are you _honestly_ going to just ignore me, how impossibly rude are you!?" her lips were in a straight line when she finished.

He did look at her then, his bright golden eyes a bit wide, and he glanced around the empty aisle once before looking back at her again, as though only just realizing she'd actually been talking to him.

As if to confirm that exact thing, he asked in a somewhat amused tone, "How long have you been standing there?"

Hermione had taken a deep breath, ready to go off on an angry tangent, but at his question she blinked in confusion and then deflated as she stared into his calm face, seeing none of that Slytherin disdain in his expression as he looked at her, just neutrality and a sort of detached curiosity.

Hermione shifted on her feet and cleared her throat, suddenly feeling awkward,

"Just…well, not very long, really…a minute at most…" she trailed off, the reality sinking in that she didn't actually have a clue as to why she'd even been trying to get his attention in the first place.

"Huh…" was his helpful response, and then his eyes slid back to the book rested on his thighs before he smoothed a gloved hand over the page absently, "…you wanted something?" he asked in a bored tone, and Hermione noted that his eyes continued to move over the page.

The fact that he was reading while she stood there was very rude, but Hermione was too grateful that he wasn't looking at her with those intelligent golden eyes to complain about the lack of eye contact,

"Oh, well, I just…uh…" dammit, she had no idea what to say. And then he was looking at her again, with an eyebrow raised expectantly and she had to say _something_ , "…I just…the…uh, the chemistry…" she latched on to that after glancing down at the new potions book she was holding in her arms, "…you really knew a lot about that. So I was just…curious about…how?" she tried to look less nervous, more confident as she usually was, but was having time mustering it.

Edward just stared at her for a moment and then he shrugged.

"I'm educated…" he said the same thing he'd told Malfoy, except Hermione caught on quicker and she was very offended,

"Excuse me, I too am educated, **well educated** , and as I'm sure you know from your _friends_ ," she said the word 'friends' with a subdued amount of dislike, "I'm muggle raised, so I have learned plenty about muggle school subjects, as well as magic…" she took a breath and he blinked at her blank-faced, "…so don't…do not…insult my intelligence, just because you happened to know more than I did about chemistry." she huffed, and then started to feel irritated with herself for losing her temper and she averted her gaze.

He had this look on his face when she looked at him again, he was smiling slightly, not smirking slyly or mockingly, but just smiling and then he brought his feet down from the shelf-desk and with one of his booted feet, he pushed out the chair next to his and gestured with a tilt of his head for her to sit down.

Her anger melted away completely when he did that, and she felt a bit self-conscious about her outburst as she pulled the chair out a bit further, hugging her books to her chest with one arm so that she could flatten out the seat of her skirt before she sat down.

When he set the book from his lap down, open, on the shelf and sat forward, elbows on his knees and bringing himself a bit closer to her by doing so, just a foot away, she felt herself blush and lightly cleared her throat. His long bangs that had been tucked behind his ear on one side slid forward while the rest framed his face attractively and he was still smiling slightly at her,

"I didn't mean to piss you off, okay?" he said evenly.

She took a second to realize it, but when it occurred to her that it was some sort of an apology, and she smiled awkwardly,

"I…probably overreacted, I do that sometimes." she laughed softly, rolling her eyes at herself.

He slowly sat back again then and rested his left ankle across his right knee, and Hermione blinked several times, finding the simple action to be so confident and appealing. None of the boys at Hogwarts ever behaved like that, even Viktor Krum hadn't ever been quite so sure of himself.

"You did overreact." he offered another genuine small smile and Hermione had no idea what to say in response, so instead she fell silent and fiddled with her books as she set them on her lap.

There was a beat of silence between them, and then he was the one to break it,

"The cup in transfiguration…it really didn't hurt?" he asked quietly and she looked up at him, after a moment of pause shaking her head,

"No, it didn't…but, it really bothered you didn't it, about whether it would hurt?" she wondered if it was okay for her to ask that, especially when he got a bit of a dark look on his face, similar to the one he'd had in Transfiguration class, in the moment when he'd apparently threatened to crack the desk flap in his grip.

That action had been a bit sobering –and startling– and presently she found her eyes wandering down the length of his torso and legs. As a seventeen year old girl she was understandably curious about the male physique, especially when a guy could nearly crack an inch of solid wood with a single clenching hand.

"Yeah." he answered vaguely, not sounding as if he was interested in elaborating, and Hermione guiltily raised her eyes back to his to find that he was smirking now. She immediately felt embarrassed, because he must have –obviously– seen her looking…as if she'd been checking him out. Wait, had she been checking him out?

' _What on earth is wrong with me, he's just a boy.'_ she thought irritably as she looked away to the bookshelf casually. She was not usually so nervous around guys, but then, the last time she'd had a boy interested in her had been two years ago and her confidence in that area was dwindling more and more as time went by without anyone showing interest. She knew that she could be intimidating and stubborn, something of a know-it-all too, but it was ridiculous that boys were so threatened by those qualities. And to make it worse, the girls in the dorm often teased her about having a 'dry spell', while they all were finding boyfriends and snogging in the stairwells.

And now there was Edward Elric, quite out of nowhere, and he just so happened to appeal to every one of her tastes…of course, there was more to know about him still, like his other hobbies besides reading, and how he felt about certain magic politics, and she also found herself curious to know how he smelled, assuming it would likely match how well put together he appeared, which was; really good.

She thought of Harry and Ron then, of the redhead specifically, and how she'd obviously been misreading him, having thought that perhaps he liked her that way. Really, every time she thought she'd figured him out about whether he liked her, he went ahead and acted the exact opposite way. And yes, Hermione liked Ron well enough, plus he was familiar so it made getting along less awkward –like it was right then when talking to someone new– but she was getting fed up of playing it safe, of waiting around for Ron to take notice of her.

Especially now when she was taking stock of how little she and Ron had in common.

And Hermione felt she was fairly attractive, and she was smart. She had sometimes wondered if maybe she should have been the one to step up and tell Ron she liked him, taken control of the situation. But it was too late now, things had changed and Lavender was in the mix, and Ron was all too often completely oblivious to her feelings.

Thinking of that, she raised her eyes to the blonde again, watching him as he ran a gloved hand over his ponytail somewhat absently while he sat leaning toward the desk, eyes scanning the open pages of the book he'd been reading as if they hadn't been talking to one another at all. Hermione took the opportunity to look at him closely, noting that he was definitely handsome, and she knew that he was definitely intelligent. Honestly, she'd felt attracted to him the very minute she'd seen him in Diagon Alley. And those points were all pros, but on the con side, he was a Slytherin…and there was always the chance that he was a Death Eater, or affiliated with Voldemort somehow. Not to mention that Harry and Ron would be angry at her if she started to get to know this boy, in fact, all of Gryffindor would be mad at her.

When he glanced at her though, with his outstanding eyes, she was reminded that all the cons were –so far–unfounded and may never be concrete or conclusive. She had no way of just knowing whether or not he was with Voldemort, but she wasn't going to be so discriminating that just because he was a Slytherin, she wouldn't associate with him.

Deciding that, Hermione took a chance on being a bit less insecure about herself,

"Edward I-…"

"Ed." he cut her off in an offhanded voice as he turned a page.

"Oh…alright, Ed," she amended, "I was wondering…" he looked at her then and she had to steel herself to finish her sentence evenly, "…if you'd be my potions partner." and no sooner than she said it, did she regret it.

Firstly, because she hadn't thought about the fact that **he** might dislike her just because she was a Gryffindor, or worse, because she was not a pure blood witch. Did he think of her as being a filthy mudblood? She curled her fingers tightly around the top of her books as tension wound its way into her, making her feel a bit nauseous.

Edward, for his part, simply raised his eyebrows as he settled his gaze on her,

"Isn't there like some kind of unspoken rule against Slytherins associating with Gryffindors?" he asked a reasonably serious question, but there was humor in his tone, a healthy amount in fact, as though he found the idea funny.

Hermione frowned and looked at the shelves again when she answered,

"Generally, yes," she said honestly, "but that would only be because the Slytherins are united in their hostility toward every other house at Hogwarts." she explained, knowing she sounded cold in tone. But when she looked at his neutral expression again, she felt encouraged to go on, so she blinked a few times and exhaled quietly before continuing, "But, this isn't about that. I'm asking you personally, so unless **you** have a problem with **me** …" she trailed off, looking at him right in the eyes and feeling anxious that he might say something typically Slytherin and hurtful to her, maybe even loudly so everyone in the library would hear.

Like ' _why would I be partners with a mudblood'_ , and dammit, she already felt like she would cry.

All the same, she braced herself for it.

"In that case, sure, I'll be your partner," he grinned and looked quite roguish when he did, "but I'm not doing all the work." he added in a light, amused tone. Hermione opened her mouth to give an indignant response but then she realized he was teasing her and she blushed. She closed her mouth again, huffing, and when he laughed quietly, apparently amused by her _almost_ outburst, she laughed softly too, unable to help it really.

Just then someone said her name and Hermione turned around to find Ginny standing at the open end of the aisle and looking at the two of them with wide eyes and a damnably amused smile on her face.

Hermione sobered quickly at seeing the younger girl, trying to will away her blush as Ginny approached, walking into the aisle with her gaze settled on Ed,

"Hello, I'm Ginny." she introduced herself with a smile, ever unaffected by awkwardness or social hazards.

"Hi Ginny, Ed." he introduced himself with the same ease and completely un-hostile smile as before, and Hermione wondered if she was the only one who felt -inexplicably- like she was doing something wrong just talking to him.

Then she remembered she was friends with Harry Potter and that was why trusting anyone was so complicated.

Ginny looked at her then, shifting with a casual sway to face Hermione,

"Ron and Harry are heading to Astronomy, and when I told them I was coming by the library they asked me to tell you they'd see you there." she conveyed the message, but kept glancing between Hermione and Ed.

"Wow, an hour already…" Ed mumbled and Hermione glanced back at him to find that he was looking at his pocket watch distractedly…she also noticed that his glove was stained with ink.

When he stood up, she did as well, and automatically, maybe somewhat OCD-ish as well, she took her wand out,

"Your glove is stained…" she pointed out and when he paused in picking up his notebook to look at his right hand glove, opening his palm, Hermione didn't wait for permission (she seldom did though) before she raised her wand and waved it over his slender gloved hand,

" _Tergeo._ "

Within a second, the stain was removed from his glove and he curled his long fingers into a fist.

Hermione looked at him then and he flashed her a toothy grin,

"Thanks, Hermione." he said, and his voice was quieter than it needed to be, saying thanks to her in an innocent yet personal way, before he smoothly sidestepped her and with his books in hand, he walked by her and passed Ginny with his robes flicking up behind him, the blonde teen disappearing around the corner and out of sight.

Hermione looked at Ginny to find the younger girl had turned to watch him leave before Ginny turned to face her again with an impish grin on her face,

"I _knew_ it, I knew you liked him." she walked closer and poked Hermione's arm,

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked too quickly, making her sound guilty as she stood still clutching her books with one arm to her chest and she blushed brightly,

"This morning when he walked into the Great Hall, you were staring, I saw it, you like him, be honest." it was an insistent mouthful said with the smile of a friend who'd just caught another friend out in a crush.

Hermione huffed and grabbed Ginny's arm, linking her own free arm in it and tugging the girl with her as she walked,

"Don't be ridiculous, we've just agreed to be partners in potions."

Ginny paused, still smiling slyly as she gave Hermione a sidelong look, and then she tightened their linked arms,

"Oh? Well, I wouldn't mind being partners with Dean Thomas if I could have." she changed the subject, and Hermione was grateful, "Isn't Professor Mustang brilliant? I quite like him." Ginny added.

Hermione smiled in agreement, but her immediate thought in that moment was that she liked Ginny. She was a good, honest friend, and the girl had a way about her that diffused tension in anyone and any situation, just as easily as she could create it. Really, she was just overall pleasant to be around.

As they left the library, Ginny was telling her about how handsome she thought the new potions teacher was and Hermione just rolled her eyes, agreeing with a small shrug when Ginny pressed, but in the back of her mind, she was thinking about the quiet thanks Ed had given her and that sweet, genuine smile.

* * *

Astronomy flew by (still being one of the most interesting classes at Hogwarts by far in his opinion) and afterward Edward made his way to dinner in the Great Hall with all the rest of the students. There, he ate his fill, which was the fill of at least three people, but despite being engrossed in eating, he still took notice when Pansy asked where Draco Malfoy was, because the other blonde had apparently decided to skip dinner and no one had seen him since before last period.

Throughout the rest of dinner, the Slytherins chatted amongst themselves about the day they'd just gotten through, and Ed let his mind drift through his own day, thinking over how he hadn't done as much research as he'd have liked to in his free period. That thought led him to wonder about how much progress Mustang had made so far, and thinking of Mustang abruptly reminded him of his fake detention.

He'd just finished swallowing a mouthful of food when he interrupted everyone's chattering with a (partially) feigned groan of annoyance. The annoyance was not entirely put upon because even if it was fake detention and he was looking forward to letting his guard down around the Colonel and just being himself, their meeting would still technically be work, since he and Mustang would be doing the equivalent of a check point mission debriefing.

The immediate group of Slytherins all frowned and looked at him and Edward just mumbled 'detention' lamely by way of explanation, receiving looks of both amusement and sympathy from them. He finished up eating then, and five minutes later, books in arm and gloves on his hands, Ed left the hall with Blaise in tow. The taller boy walked with him for a while, first explaining directions to him on how to find Mustang's office and then complaining about how much homework they had to do, and once they were approaching the stairwell that led down to the dungeon Slytherin dorm, Ed bid Blaise a lazy wave and the taller boy broke off and went down the stairs while Ed continued on along the hallway. Ed headed toward and then up the staircases which would take him to the floor that Mustang's office was on, which was where his 'detention' would be held.

As he walked, his thoughts drifted to Mustang's clever potions-teaching strategy, and then by association he thought of his new partner for potions class. It had honestly come as an amusing surprise when Hermione had asked him, Ed hadn't expected it, considering the whole Gryffindor hates Slytherin thing, but he'd still accepted. But amusing as it had been, Ed didn't rule out the idea of her request being some sort of amateur plot to get closer to him in order to figure out whether he was associated with the big bad you-know-who. But he also didn't rule out the idea that maybe she just liked him, like ' _liked'_ him liked him, or whatever, because of how awkward and flustered she'd been around him earlier.

And he supposed that wasn't such a bad thing, after all, she was cute…well, attractive would be a better word actually, and when she got angry and pouted in that defiant but defeated way it wasn't a bad sight at all. He made a face to himself about it though, realizing that subconsciously he apparently had a thing for stubborn, spitfire and straightforward girls, if Winry, and now Hermione, were anything to judge by. He'd never given much thought to his tastes in that department, always having had more important things to focus on, but now that he did think about it, turns out that that was what he was attracted to. He smirked slightly and snorted to himself when he found himself wondering what clever and sarcastic thing Al would have to say about that revelation…

The result of his thoughts left his stomach feeling a little hollow though, since thinking of Al and home reminded him that he missed his brother…and Winry, Amestris…and Resembool.

And he'd _never_ missed Resembool before, so he knew that he was really home sick now that he did.

He sighed to himself in the quiet of the large hall and shook his head, casting the unproductive thoughts and feelings from his mind and focusing on where he was going. His boots scuffed lightly on the stone floors as he walked in the direction Blaise had told him to and eventually he was turning a corner into a narrower corridor, where up ahead in the dead end of it he could see the closed door of Mustang's new office.

Once he came to the door Edward didn't bother to knock, instead he just entered as he would Mustang's office back in Amestris. He glanced around as he stepped in, kicking the door shut behind him before he walked into the large room, looking around the space with all of its décor; large rugs, stacked bookshelves, antique tables, fancy leather sofas, a lit fireplace, high ceilings and large drapes covering wide windows.

After he'd looked around and taken everything in, Ed let his gaze settle on the Colonel, who was sitting next to the lit fireplace on one of the two settee double sofas, legs crossed, leaning back comfortably and reading,

"How'd you score this office?" he asked the older man as he walked over, stopping to drop his books down on the couch opposite the one Mustang occupied. He then removed his robe and dropped it untidily over the books before he flopped onto the couch, slouching down and letting himself relax for the first time in too long.

Mustang lowered the book as he glanced at Ed and smirked,

"I got lucky, apparently it was specially intended for the guy who was supposed to take this job originally." he explained as he set the thick book down open over his lap.

Ed didn't have a response to that so he didn't say anything, and for a long minute they just sat in silence and relaxed in one another's familiar presence. Ed settled his gaze on the dancing flames as they sat, but gradually his eyes drifted closed and he inhaled a deep sleepy breath. It felt good to be able to drop his guard and just let go...

"You're tired?" Mustang asked in his usual low voice, which was soothing now in its familiarity.

Ed exhaled quietly, opening his eyes again, still looking at the fire even though he knew Mustang was looking at him,

"Not…really." he said uncertainly, shrugging facially. Technically, he had slept sufficiently, but he guessed that the weight of the situation was getting him down so he felt more drained than usual.

"You look it." Mustang stated frankly, "I haven't seen you look this sleep deprived since that time you found out that the Philosopher's Stone required human life to make it." he said in a thoughtful tone, and when Ed finally slid his gaze to the older man, Mustang added, "Have some coffee…" and he glanced over to the table set under one of the large windows where there was a tray with a coffee pot, cups and other cutlery.

Edward immediately perked up at the mention of coffee, and he pushed himself up off the couch and walked over to the table, turning over one of the cups and putting together a strong cup of coffee for himself.

"How are you finding Hogwarts?" Roy asked just when Ed came back over to the couch again, the Colonel sounding amused.

Ed sat down, slumping on the couch with his legs lazily splayed as he sipped his coffee, which was so needed that he moaned softly as he swallowed the hot liquid, only answering after he'd savored the sip,

"Magic is full of shit," he said blandly and licked his lips, "but very handy." he added, looking at Mustang then, and he frowned when he saw that the older man was looking at him with exasperation, "What?" he asked.

Mustang blinked once, slow and significant,

"You could have brought me a cup too," he pointed out, and then added, "brat." in a grumble before he set his book aside and stood up, heading over to the coffee tray, looking untidy and day worn.

Ed actually took note then, as he tracked his eyes over the older man, that he hadn't seen Mustang look so exhausted since the time Gluttony had tried to swallow the older man whole. Subconsciously, he wondered how Mustang would have reacted to knowing that later that same night, Gluttony had managed to swallow Ling and himself. He never had told the Colonel about that, too much had been happening at the time for him to tell that complicated tale.

He couldn't help it though when a grin stole across his face as he thought about some of the crazy and dangerous shit he'd been through, most people would never even believe it. He shook his head as he looked from the Colonel's back to his coffee cup,

"You could have asked, lazy ass." he shot back, but it was said with little conviction, since the office was warm and Mustang's presence was comfortable. As he sipped his coffee again, his gaze drifted to the book Mustang had set face down on the sofa "Are you reading a book on runes?" he asked as he titled his head to better read the cover.

"Yeah, I had some free time in the first lunch period so I visited the library, have you been?" he asked, sounding amused again. Ed sipped his coffee and watched Mustang walk back over to retake the seat across from him,

"I have." he said against the rim of his cup.

"I'm guessing you found it satisfactory in size." he sounded like he knew it, not guessed it.

Ed half rolled his eyes,

"It's a good library…" he conceded, his mouth twitching as he tried not to smile and instead finished off his coffee in two gulps.

"Good?" Mustang looked at him with raised eyebrows, "I wouldn't say _good_. There are a lot of books in there, but it's poorly organized, dusty and cluttered, it's awful actually." he sipped his own coffee as he recrossed his legs.

"It's a great library," Ed looked at him dully, "You're just too _lazy_ to appreciate it." he pointed out.

Mustang just blinked at him, expression flat,

"Moving on," he said in his pleasant ' _I'm not going to argue with you, so shut up_ ' tone of voice, "…here," the Colonel set his coffee down on the side table and he lifted a book from the top of a pile on the floor by the sofa he was on. "Look at that." he said as he tossed it to Ed across the short distance between them. The blonde had barely put his cup down, but he managed to catch the book with one hand, though the sharp corner did jab into his abdomen.

For a second Ed considered getting up and using the book to whack Mustang upside his head, but the older man now had a serious expression on his face and so Ed just let it go and looked at the book,

"I picked this out in the library earlier," he said when he recognized the title, "but I didn't have enough time to read it before my last class." he admitted, although Hermione had been the reason, not time, since she'd interrupted his research. Ed didn't say that though, instead he looked at Mustang with irritation not meant for the Colonel, "Can you believe that jackass Snape?" he griped, "He gave me a full class schedule, I have ten fucking subjects in a day." he informed Mustang as he opened the book to the contents page and leaned back with a huff.

Mustang raised an eyebrow,

"Hm, Severus Snape…" he said thoughtfully, "…is it just me or does he come across as shady?" Mustang asked as he rubbed at his chin with his fingers, his elbow leaning on the armrest. He was not wearing the long robe he'd had on all day, and while Ed was still in his layered uniform, Mustang just wore black slacks and a white button down shirt.

Ed skimmed the contents page quickly and then glanced at Mustang as he flipped through the book,

"Shady…nah," he dismissed and then snorted, "moody and overdramatic though, definitely, but the whole ' _I'm all dark and gloomy so fear me'_ routine," Ed added in a warbling deeper voice and wiggled his gloved fingers, "That's all for show." he finished, finding the page he'd been looking for before looking at Mustang again, "I'm hungry, you got any food in here?" he looked around.

Mustang, who'd seemingly been considering Ed's words, half rolled his eyes,

"Are you ever not hungry, Fullmetal." it wasn't actually a question and Ed just made a ' _whatever'_ face at him,

"You got food or not?"

Mustang sighed, looking tired but amused, because really, nothing about their interaction was new to him,

"On the table, under the other tray cover." he pointed to the designated tray and Ed set his book aside and got up again, making his way over to the table as the Colonel asked, "So you think Snape's obscure demeanor is just a façade, that there's nothing questionable about him?"

Noting the wary tone of Mustang's voice, Edward wondered if maybe he'd missed something, because Mustang had good people instincts most of the time and if he was suspicious, it couldn't be without reason. So he reconsidered Snape, and the Slytherins too, more seriously, as he removed the tray lid and picked up a side plate. Ed selected some of the cakes and tea treats that he decided looked the least weird as he thought about his limited interactions with the students and the professor in question, and when he was done he recovered the tray and walked back over to the couch.

He sat down then and set the plate in his lap as he pulled his gloves off one after the other,

"Well, the Slytherins in general are all pretty shady, bad attitudes and skew morals." he admitted as he set his gloves down on his strewn robe, "Far as I know, they all come from fucked up families and some of their fathers are well known Death Eaters, so like…well known criminals." he informed with a raised eyebrow, thinking then that it was likely Snape was indeed _shady_ with those odds.

Mustang hummed again, the fire crackling softly as the Colonel looked at him contemplatively,

"I heard about Lucius Malfoy from one of the teachers, Hagrid…you know the giant one?" Ed nodded as he stuffed a small cake square into his mouth, "He's friendly and he slips up all the time about interesting things." the older man said with a pointed look, and Ed noted the hint that Hagrid was a source of information, "Apparently there was some major prison break just a few weeks ago, and several high end Death Eaters escaped." Mustang scratched above his eyebrow idly, looking mostly bored with the subject of evil wizards and witches.

"Yeah…" Ed licked sugar off his lips and paused his eating to talk, "…we read about that Bellastrange Trix lady remember?" Mustang nodded, "She was an escaped prisoner, so it's all connected." Ed continued eating then.

"Yes," the Colonel agreed, "they're all working for that you-know-who, person." Mustang added.

After a beat of silence, Ed swallowed his mouthful and he smirked, cocking an eyebrow at the older man,

"Do you know yet, who _you-know-who_ is?"

Mustang smirked too, shaking his head,

"No, I didn't ask his name because Dumbledore mentioned that he's known throughout the world-…"

"…hm, didn't wanna' seem suspicious-…" Ed was nodding, and Mustang inclined his head in agreement,

"…right, I didn't want to give away that I didn't know who he is, but apparently his name is not to be spoken anyway."

"That's so fucking stupid, right?" Ed made a face, ate a biscuit.

"Yup." Mustang agreed easily.

"How can anyone be scared of a damn name?" Ed spoke around his last mouthful, all of his snacks now gone, before he swallowed and proceeded to lick sugar and icing off his fingers.

Mustang raised an eyebrow as he turned his head and looked into the fire,

"This world is lacking in authority." he sounded uber serious and military-like all of a sudden and Ed went still, blinking at Mustang with a thumb tip settled between his lips as the older man narrowed his eyes and went on, "Everyone is so afraid of this so called dark wizard that he's easily able to play on their fears and infiltrate their ranks." he paused, blinked at the fire, "Hagrid told me a bit about why the school is under such high protection spells…"

Shaking off the momentary shock of the authoritative 'Colonel Roy Mustang' making an appearance, Ed ventured his assumption on that subject,

"I'm guessing it's because whatshisname is some slick shit bastard, and has managed to find his way into the school in the past?"

Mustang smirked slightly and looked at him,

"Yes, more or less. He's supposedly been infiltrating the school over the last few years at irregular intervals, but it was only confirmed just a few months ago that he is in fact _alive_...after having apparently been believed dead."

This got Ed's attention and he and Mustang looked thoughtfully at each other for a tense moment,

"They think he resurrected himself from the dead?" Ed asked, his disbelief of the possibility plain in his tone.

Mustang shook his head, frowning as they looked at one another,

"Maybe, but it can't be, because no one comes back from the dead…you know better than anyone how true that is." he said quietly.

Ed set the plate aside and leaned back on the couch, drumming his fingers on his knee,

"Right, so then…that means that he couldn't have died…he probably just went into hiding."

"Hm, biding his time…building his forces…"

"Planning an attack…"

They were both thinking of Father by that point, and while the unnamed dark wizard didn't give Edward any worry or pause, the plot seemed to fit rather well, it seemed that evil minds were very much alike, even across worlds.

Mustang sighed then, shattering their silent contemplation,

"The question is; how do we avoid getting involved?" he pressed his thumb and fingers into his closed eyes, "The more I think about it, I realize that we're pretty much in the middle of this thing just by being here at Hogwarts, what with Dumbledore being the only person who's ever taken on this dark wizard and with some 'boy who lived' that attends this school being a prime target of this guy's grudge." he was rubbing at his forehead now.

"The fuck Mustang, have you been interrogating Hagrid, how the hell do you know all this?" Ed was honestly surprised. He'd been carefully treading to collect tidbits of information and picking up what he could where he could, yet Mustang was so clued up already and it'd only been a few days.

The bastard smirked in response,

"Come now Fullmetal, my best friend was the head of investigations and espionage for the military, you think in all the years I knew him I wouldn't have picked up a few skills in the subtle art of extracting information?" Mustang sipped his coffee, trying to appear collected and smug despite his hair looking run through and untidy, probably by his hands doing throughout the day. That, and the way he kept clenching and unclenching his free fist gave away that he was stressed.

Ed raised his eyebrows…because, yup, he'd also picked up some tips and tricks in the art of profiling and espionage, and reading people's physical tells was among the skills he'd learned over the years, regrettably though, mostly through sort of, kind of, but not really listening to Mustang. Still, he preferred to think of it as being lessons indirectly learned from Hughes, because he didn't want to give Mustang the credit for it.

"Fair enough, you're a sly bastard anyway…" Mustang's smirk twitched into a sarcastic smile and Ed took that as a small victory, "So who's the kid?" he ventured, "The one who whatshisname has a grudge against?" he clarified.

Mustang shrugged facially and finished off his coffee, setting the cup down again,

"Hagrid wouldn't let that detail slip, but I doubt it'd be too hard to figure out…if I wanted to find out." he added the end bit with an iffy expression on his face,

"You don't want to?" Ed asked and Mustang shook his head slightly, meeting his gaze,

"This is not our problem Fullmetal, it's not our war, we've just come through our own war and we barely did so alive and intact." he sighed shortly, "I can't see how getting involved in this will be anything but trouble." he still sounded unsure about it though.

Mustang was right about trying to stay out of it, but on the other hand…

Edward noted the older man's uncertain expression and he guessed that the Colonel might be thinking the same thing as he was right then, because even if they didn't always get along, they were a lot alike and their minds often synced up with the same line of reasoning when it really counted,

"Yeah…maybe," he waited until Mustang looked at him before he continued, "but if this place gets destroyed…" he said quietly, and he didn't have to finish that sentence because the older man was already nodding, agreeing,

"…then we'll have no means of finding a way home anyway." Mustang finished gravely.

Edward inhaled, only to sigh heavily as he sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees,

"Maybe we should try to stop it before it becomes a war." he suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Mustang frowned at him, his dark blue eyes slightly narrowed and glinting from the firelight,

"We tried to do that with Father, Ed, and we wasted a lot of time…in the end we were too late."

Ed nodded in acknowledgment of that, dropping his gaze to look down at his ungloved hands, the left of which was calloused and littered with scars on his knuckles and fingers, some of them reminders of the most recent blows he'd dealt to a god-like semi-immortal. He blinked and raised his eyes to look at the Colonel again, thinking of the differences between a homunculus and a wizard as he said,

"Yeah, but…Father was powerful." with a pointed look.

There was a thoughtful silence that followed, and then Mustang muttered,

"You're right…" and Ed could have laughed for how those words must have stuck in the older man's throat, "…these wizards and witches, they aren't particularly powerful." –at all– in Ed's opinion, "They rely entirely on magic that they don't even have independent control over or proper comprehension of." he said quietly, and Ed could tell he was mentally revaluating their situation.

Edward was keen to hear anything else Mustang had to say, wanting to know just how much about magic the Colonel had figured out. He knew that he should be offering his own staggering discoveries, but he still felt like he just...didn't want to. He felt oddly possessive about the knowledge of what he could do with magic energy, and it was probably because he knew it was a big deal, because it made him far more dangerous and powerful than he'd ever been before. And he liked it, which he shouldn't.

He knew…he knew he should tell Mustang about it…

"Without their wands, they're probably completely useless." Mustang said aloud.

Ed blinked at him and the word was out of his mouth quickly,

"No…" because he felt an immediate need to intervene, after all, he couldn't not tell Mustang about something that could get him hurt or killed, "…they can do magic without a wand. But I think they have to be one of the more advanced wizards or witches, you know, the stronger and more skilled ones, not necessarily older, just more adept and in-tune with magic." he explained. Mustang gave him a questioning look, wanting an explanation on how Ed knew that, which was only fair, "Hermione Granger, I, uh, dueled," that word sounded so stupid, "against her in Defense Against The Dark Arts class today, and even though it was a cake walk to disarm her, she summoned her wand to her with just a verbal command." he stated and Mustang made an ' _I see_ ' face, "What she did wasn't much, but it means that it is possible for them to cast wandless spells." Ed finished, resting his chin in his right palm, still sitting forward.

Mustang raised his eyebrows slightly,

"So we can expect that the Death Eaters can probably do that, and on a more dangerous scale I'm sure."

"Well yeah, them, but I'm betting Snape can do it, McGonagall too, Dumbledore…and probably even some of the other students besides Hermione."

"Hm, most definitely Dumbledore…and that you-know-who guy will be able to do it as well." Mustang sighed, shifting to cross his legs over the other way.

Ed was nodding as he veered right off topic,

"Did you know McGonagall can change into a cat, like in a fluent few seconds motion?"

"Huh…" Mustang blinked, "…no, that must be quite a sight." he mumbled with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, for sure," Ed snorted, "way better than watching the chimeras or Envy change. She does it so smoothly."

"Did _you_ know there are visible, actual ghosts that live and interact with people in this castle?" the question from Mustang sounded hesitant, like he still didn't quite believe himself what he was saying.

Edward frowned at that, because he certainly hadn't seen any ghosts,

"Are you…kidding?" he asked, not disbelieving Mustang, but just not liking any idea of the dead not being dead.

Mustang shook his head stiffly,

"No, I was unfortunate enough to encounter them my first night here, but I haven't seen them since and I will avoid them if I do, because it's just…"

"…wrong." they said at the same time, staring at one another.

The next stretch of silence lasted a bit longer as they both fell into contemplation again, Ed thinking about all the things he hadn't told Mustang yet about his power, and whatever Mustang was thinking about was making him frown to himself.

Ed decided to break the silence after a few minutes, making a partial decision about his omissions,

"About the nonverbal, wandless spells, we have a slight advantage over them with that as well." he stated seriously, and Mustang looked at him and nodded once,

"Yes, alchemy is entirely nonverbal and wandless."

Ed shook his head.

"Not just that," he lowered his hands, letting them hang between his thighs. "We can feel energy, because as alchemists we know how to, so we're able to feel the energy gather when a spell is activated…" he trailed off and Mustang looked at him expectantly to go on, and after a short breath, Ed did, "Have you used your wand for their magic?" Mustang nodded, "Did you feel it?" Ed asked, and the Colonel nodded again.

"It doesn't feel like alchemy though." the older man added with a shrug.

Ed agreed with a quick shake of his head,

"No, it doesn't, it feels more like a pulling or sucking sensation in the gut."

"Hm, like when we came through that arch at the ministry, it was definitely noticeable." Mustang added.

"And the Floo thing feels that way too," Ed went on, since they were on the same page of understanding, "so just as alchemy feels like electricity over the skin, magic has its own identifiable tell. The thing is, witches and wizards can't feel energy like we can, which limits them tremendously, because they can't utilize something they don't understand, let alone aren't even aware of." he admitted.

Mustang nodded, but then he looked at Ed as if just thinking of something,

"Speaking of alchemy, why is there a rumor going around that you're an alchemist?" he asked sternly, "We agreed to keep that to ourselves, Fullmetal." he added, sounding like a regular reprimanding Colonel again, and Ed just let that familiar –and useless - tone go right over his head as he usually did,

"Relax, Mustang, our cover isn't blown." he waved off the older man's concern, and then sighed, deciding to elaborate when Mustang just stared at him, "The Slytherins have this whole pure-blood superiority complex going on, and when we got back to the dorms that first night they started talking about how they hadn't heard of my last name, when apparently _all_ pure-blood types have longstanding, well known family lineages or some shit." he half rolled his eyes.

"So you told them you're an alchemist?" Mustang asked flatly.

"No, shut up and listen, would ya'?" he gave Mustang an annoyed look and then ran a hand through his bangs, tucking them behind his ear on one side, "Because that fucked up talking hat said something about ancient blood, I figured it was on to something. So I told them my real last name is Hohenheim, like my dad, right, because he was hundreds of years old and whatever, so I guessed the hat might have been referring to his old ass."

Mustang just nodded, an amused look creeping over his face as he waited for Ed to go on.

"And my guess was spot on, because one of the Slytherins recognized the name and told everyone I was probably an alchemist, since that last name apparently relates me to some guy named Paracelsus Von Hohenheim, some ancient _alchemist_ in _this_ world." Ed was shaking his head, still wondering –but would never be able to know– if his father had actually been in this world, had known anything about it or whether it was just a bizarre coincidence.

Mustang also looked slightly shocked at hearing the related last names,

"So your father had been in this world at some point?"

Ed shook his head, shrugging,

"I don't know, I need time to look that Paracelsus guy up, but I doubt it was my father because alchemy in this world is the equivalent of piss compared to our world." he stated flatly, "So it can't be the same alchemy or the same kind of alchemist as my dad or any of us are. And besides that," Ed hesitated to share what his father had told him about his past, but he trusted Mustang so he went ahead, "…my father was a nameless slave back in Xerxes, the name Van Hohenheim was given to him by the homunculus, Father." Ed said with a grim expression as he glanced at the older man and found a look of comprehension on the Colonel's face,

"I see, and considering we found the array in his lair…it's probable that homunculus Father was in this world before, not your father." Mustang said quietly, blinking a few times as he covered his mouth with his hand, probably experiencing the same disconcerted feelings that Edward had about it, because the implications behind that fact were both overwhelming and inconsequential, and kind of staggering to think of.

Not wanting to stress himself out over his father and the Father's twisted history, Ed sighed and changed the subject none too subtly,

"Anyway, so my having some legit old alchemy heritage in this world was apparently the equivalent to being a pure-blood for them, and I'm guessing it's because magic and alchemy in this world were practiced by the same kinds of people, wizards and witches." he surmised.

Mustang rubbed a hand over one side of his face and nodded again,

"Well, I guess it's a good thing then that you said what you did and that they drew that conclusion on their own. You appear to be getting along with them well at least." he commented. And Ed couldn't really find it in himself to disagree, because he _was_ getting along with them, so he shrugged and then smirked at Mustang,

"You seem to be doing a good job as a teacher too, bastard, I was surprised." he admitted.

Mustang laughed softly and shrugged his shoulder,

"I'm basically just teaching chemistry, every alchemist is a highly qualified chemist and scientist, so I'm not teaching them anything I don't know already, it's only the variables and catalysts that are different."

Edward agreed,

"Yeah, that's true." he pursed his lips, subconsciously aware that his attempt to inform Mustang about his omissions had been derailed, and consciously aware that he was not going to try again to bring it up, "So I get like a free pass in class and for homework right?" he moved the conversation away from it completely, "Because we both know I could run circles around you in chemistry." Ed said it nonchalantly as he sat back to relax, leveling the Colonel with a teasing smirk even though it was true.

Mustang glared at him mildly but then smirked in the way that said ' _I win this round, Fullmetal_ ',

"I thought you might feel that way, you smug brat…" he said almost sweetly, "…that is exactly why I assigned partners in Potions class," he grinned with a few of his glinting white teeth now, "because it'd force you to do work so that you don't blow your cover." he chuckled quietly then, because Ed was glaring murder at him.

"Asshole, bastard, shit Colonel…" the blonde mumbled to himself as he looked away from the smug older man to glare at the fire place. Mustang just kept smiling, unperturbed by his many 'nicknames' rolling off Ed's tongue,

"Have you chosen a partner yet?" he asked in an amused tone.

Ed's irritation remained, but it was mostly superficial and started to fade at the amusing memory of a flustered Hermione Granger,

"Yeah…" he answered and then looked at Mustang again, "…well actually, a partner chose me."

"Oh, who?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Really?" Mustang cocked an eyebrow, "That's unexpected, by the way she looked at you in class I was certain she despised you." he really sounded like he was certain of it.

Ed snorted,

"I thought that too, especially since I kept showing her up in every class."

Mustang hummed,

"Maybe she likes you." his tone was teasing in the way a guy usually teased a friend about a girl, a tone that Ed was familiar with since just about everyone he knew used to tease him about Winry back home.

Ed wondered absently if he and Mustang could be considered friends. Probably, in some way…just like Havoc and Breda and even Hawkeye were 'friends', because he had a friendly rapport with them and knew them all really well, so yeah, they were his friends. It got him thinking about the new peers he had now, and whether he'd have actually become friends with them if his circumstances weren't as they presently were, i.e; undercover.

"Or…she's just trying to get close to me so she can figure out whether I'm a follower of whatshisface." Ed responded at length, deciding it was best to be honest with Mustang about the fact that he was under suspicion.

Mustang looked at him sharply,

"Why would she think that?" he sounded like a Colonel again, all demanding and stern.

Ed frowned at Mustang, making a face that clearly said ' _Are you an idiot?_ '

"Haven't you been listening?" he grouched, "Because I'm a 'pure-blood wizard'," he air quoted, "with a _dark past_ and I'm in Slytherin, where all of the evil sons of bitches in this world are apparently standardly manufactured." he laughed shortly then, "And I suppose it doesn't help that I'm super smart and wiping the floor with their magic." he blinked lazily, shaking his head slowly as he sighed.

Mustang was frowning at him,

"You were never humble, Fullmetal, but you were never such a braggart either." he admonished without really doing so and then closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, "That goddamn hat said a lot of things that made even the staff uncomfortable, how did it know so much about you anyway?" he opened his eyes again and looked at Ed questioningly.

Edward was busy mulling over the fact that he had been quite moody and overly cocky lately, but then, he had no reason not to be, especially since Alphonse wasn't there to lecture him for it as he usually would and he could back his skills up even more than usual, so why not be proud of it? It was a new feeling, the deep well of arrogance he was now consciously aware of, and it came along with the fact that he was so powerful in that weird world, but Mustang didn't need to know that, especially since he didn't seem to approve of Ed's attitude.

The Colonel did need to know about the hat though,

"My theory is that it's linked to the Gate somehow, like an open link, it was able to sift around in my head and I couldn't stop it." Ed said seriously, watching Mustang's eyes widen at the new information, "When Pride tried to get into my mind and body I was able to shut him out because I could feel him forcing his way in and I reversed it, I got inside of him instead and even tapped into the energy of his Philosopher's Stone to destroy him." Ed hadn't told Mustang any of this yet, not even in a written report, and the man looked stunned, "But that hat on my head was like when being inside the Gate, I had no control over it." Ed narrowed his eyes, "I could see what memories it was looking into but I couldn't feel it or stop it and it had free reign." he finished with a shake of his head, feeling uncomfortable just remembering the invasion of his mind.

Mustang had been inside the Gate once himself, and Ed was sure he'd remember the feeling of being overwhelmed by Truth, with its massive eye and the frigid cold hands, being forcefully dragged into darkness. Hearing yourself scream, seeing the white, featureless visage of a person…before being unable to see anything at all and then the splitting headache that followed, white noise and too much information. Ed doubted that Mustang's memory of it was as vivid as his own though, since he'd been in the Gate far more times than the Colonel had.

"That's why you took it off your head so abruptly?" Mustang asked.

"Yeah, it was the only way to stop it, but the fucking hat knew it was making me uncomfortable and it was _amused_." Ed griped and folded his arms across his chest. Mustang raised an eyebrow,

"Was a soul attached to the hat?"

Edward frowned and bobbed his shoulders slightly,

"It might have been…but if it was then that means it's someone who isn't dead and has found a way to stay connected to his soul in this world while also being connected to his body inside the Gate." he was shaking his head.

"Not likely?" Roy interpreted.

"Highly fucking unlikely," Ed said surely, "I mean, when Al told me that his body was pulling his soul back into the Gate, it _confirmed_ that the mental and physical states can't communicate when on two different planes, and can only temporarily exist simultaneously in both realms, still, only totally separate from one another."

After a beat of silence, Mustang asked,

"Do you have any theories?" he shifted in his seat, leaning on the armrest.

Edward did, and supposing that Mustang being curious was to be expected, he didn't mind telling the man,

"Yeah, either it means that in this world, they can exist simultaneously because the laws are different and the Gates are different. Or…" he pursed his lips and sighed, "and I don't like this theory; that hat is some form of a Homunculus." he clenched his jaw.

Mustang blinked and then frowned deeply, looking baffled,

"What? How?"

Ed raised one leg and rested it across his other, ankle over his knee, as he rubbed at the side of his neck absently, and trusting in his earlier decision to tell Mustang more about his father's history, he explained,

"Hohenheim told me about his past, about before he became a Philosopher's Stone and about how he'd acquired his alchemic intelligence and power." Ed leveled his gaze on Mustang, "It was because of the homunculus, the one who became Father. Originally, it had no human form, it just existed in a flask, and that was its container long before it ever cloned my father's body and took the replica for itself. So, a homunculus doesn't need a human container to survive." Mustang's eyebrows rose and Ed went on, "But even in that diminutive form, in a restricting container, that homunculus had been able to do things, and it knew things, that the Gate was able to do and knew of, which was how it gave my father the knowledge he had to become a great alchemist. And the mental reach that the homunculus was capable of are not all that different from what the hat seemed able to do…" Ed sighed then, noting the Colonel's tense shoulders, "…but it's a stretch in terms of a theory, Mustang." he dismissed, "It's probably just some spell, like maybe the hat has the soul of a disembodied wizard attached to it and he can use Legilimency." Ed absently massaged his shoulder above where his automail port used to be, frowning belatedly when he realized just how equally fucked up that theory sounded. Seriously, how was this his life?

"That's the mind reading spell, right?" Mustang asked.

Ed smirked, glad for the change of subject,

"Yeah...wow, you've really been doing your homework, Colonel." he was honestly surprised.

Mustang gave him a short look of chiding,

"Of course, it's careless and dangerous to operate a mission without knowing the details thoroughly."

Ed gave him a short eye roll,

"Right, right, military training shit 101." Edward pointed at Mustang with his hand in the shape of a gun and made two short clicking sounds as he winked at the older man.

Mustang just bobbed his eyebrows once by way of dismissive response and then picked his book back up and flipped it over face up on his lap,

"Anything else to report?" he asked dully.

Edward also grabbed up the book next to him then, opening it up as he shook his head and slouched in his seat,

"Nope, that's it Colonel shit." it wasn't everything he could have divulged, but it was all he was going to.

"Right, carry on, Major." Mustang followed up in an amused tone as he started reading again.

"Sir, yes, sir." Ed said back in a sarcastic tone, smirking slightly as he let himself become absorbed by the text.

* * *

Severus was in his dungeon office until late in the evening, sitting at his desk and passing some time writing down a few potions theories that he'd been mentally concocting all day. Despite finally having his coveted position as the DADA professor, he would always enjoy potions brewing for its subtle complexities. It was an art, one he enjoyed immensely; he might even call it a hobby…to absolutely no one but himself.

Being the man he was, or was known as, having a hobby was something he could not be associated with, because it implied that he _enjoyed_ doing something for the sake of enjoying it, the idea of which would in turn inspire people to think that he had a personality and was capable of being cordial, and that was just unacceptable. He'd rather people believe that he spent his time mixing potions so often because he was partial to the dangerous, dark concoctions he could come up with. The implication behind that made him entirely unapproachable, and that was how he preferred it. The last thing he needed was to become _likeable_ to the meddlesome students at Hogwarts, because not only was it too risky to his precarious position as a 'double agent', but it would also be tedious and far too trying to manage.

Thinking of 'likeable' teachers made Severus think of the new Potions professor, and he scowled slightly at the thought as he dipped his quill into the inkwell before setting it back to the page of the open notebook he was writing in. He'd heard through the metaphorical grapevine all day, that the students were _impressed_ by the new professor and that he was quickly becoming liked amongst the faculty and student body.

He kept it to himself, but it annoyed Severus that the new fool had come along and gained such fast popularity just because he had a 'charming' and 'affable' disposition. In his opinion, everyone was being far too trusting, because he knew well that those sorts, the _too_ _nice_ , seemingly harmless types, tended to be just as dangerous as any other more obvious villain, especially since they were good at manipulation and knew how to endear people to them.

He was not blind to the new professor's behavior though, and he hadn't failed to notice that Roy Mustang spent quite a lot of time chatting specifically with Hagrid and Trelawney, and he was certain that it wasn't a coincidence that the man had taken so quickly to the two teachers at the school who were both gullible, blabbermouths, overly trusting and overly honest and not wise to the ways of manipulators.

It was _so_ obvious that Mustang was befriending them only because they both knew a fair amount about the schools skeletons and more confidential business, but neither knew how to keep their mouths shut…especially Hagrid, who Dumbledore trusted far more than Severus thought was smart to. But as much as he didn't like Mustang and felt suspicious of him, being nosy wasn't a crime, and so far, that's all Mustang seemed to be; very, very nosy and _interested_ in gossip and information about everyone. Personally, Severus trusted Dumbledore completely (albeit implicitly), but still, he honestly questioned the man's judgment at the best of times, for even he seemed not to see anything suspicious or concerning about Roy Mustang.

Thinking of the new professor and whether or not he was trustworthy made Severus think of the newest student at Hogwarts, Edward Elric…the student he wanted to believe wasn't a Death Eater, or even a potential, but could not believe so with any surety just yet. The boy had all the makings of a dangerous dark wizard, and after having seen just a small example of the teen's power and control during the O.W.L's and the DADA class that day, Snape had also heard about what had happened to the desk in the Transfiguration class. Such an action suggested that Elric had great physical strength on top of great magical abilities.

Yes, Edward was apparently quite effortlessly powerful, and if he were on Voldemort's side, then he'd be very dangerous and one to watch out for. Even his ancestry suggested he might be of questionable moralities, seeing as he was orphaned, but there was no traceable backstory of his parents or any provable explanation for their supposed accidental deaths. And Severus had _looked_ for past information on Edward right after the O.W.L's the day before, and it seemed to be plainly nonexistent.

Naturally, that was suspicious, dubiously so, and it made him wonder whether, like Voldemort had killed his father, perhaps Edward had killed his own parents and had covered it up. He was certainly exceptionally magically gifted and smart enough to do so, just as Tom Riddle had been as a boy…and still was.

' _Perhaps he is a half-blood and wanted to cover it up…'_ Snape looked up from his writing as the thought occurred to him. It would certainly explain why he didn't recognize the last name 'Elric'; it could be a muggle name. Or perhaps the latest rumors were true, that Edward apparently was using a deliberately different last name and that he was an _alchemist_ , if **that** could be believed. Severus made a mental note to try and learn more about those particular rumors, he assumed Draco would be the best source to ask since Elric seemed to have fallen in with that crowd quite comfortably. And he needed to speak with Draco anyway, the boy had been distracted and very moody since he'd arrived at Hogwarts, obviously the weight of the task Voldemort had assigned him was affecting him greatly and it wouldn't do for people like Potter and his meddling friends to start noticing his odd behavior.

Severus went back to his writing, feeling concerned now about both Draco and Edward; Draco because his own life was now tied to the boy's, and Edward because he was worried the new teen was concealing his real last name because it was connected to a powerful and infamous wizarding line…like the Malfoy's, or the Black's, or even the Gaunt's. If Edward was some distant relation to Voldemort himself that would be, well, very bad really.

He frowned to himself and shut his eyes against a building headache, disliking not knowing more about the new blond teen. But his expanding thoughts about how to uncover more information on Elric were derailed in the next second, and he hissed quietly when his right forearm burned where his dark mark blackened his skin. Severus took a deep breath as it ached and he placed his quill back in the inkwell before pulling his sleeve up to look at the mark with a scowl. It was still relatively faded but he expected the more involved he became in Voldemort's plot, the darker and more pronounced it would get, and he would have to take extra care to conceal it.

Right then though, he was more concerned with _why_ Voldemort was summoning him. It would only be the second time since the Dark Lord's return that he was summoning Severus to him, and here he'd been hoping to avoid seeing that hideous snake-like face for a longer while, but ultimately, he could not ignore the call. With that in mind, Severus pulled his sleeve back down and got to his feet, closing his potions notebook and pulling his wand out to cast a locking spell on it, before he left his office in a flourish of his flaring robe.

Ten minutes later, Severus had walked his way down to an area beyond the school's bounds, and once he was outside of the castle's spells and charms, he apparated.

* * *

Severus had apparated directly to the place that Voldemort's mark had summoned him to, like a nauseating compass of some sort, and it turned out to be a large room in an old manor in the country side of Scotland. He kept his face carefully blank, but he felt ill to think that the manor had probably belonged to a muggle or muggles who were now likely suffering the Cruciatus Curse in the basement, purely for the Death Eaters and Voldemort's own amusement. He found it distasteful and cruel, torture was not something Severus supported, while he didn't find death to be a cruel ending for an unfortunate soul, suffering torture beforehand certainly was.

"Severusss…" Voldemort's unpleasantly amused voice sounding behind him made Severus start, though very subtly, and he folded his arms casually across his mid-section in reaction, his long sleeves concealing his tension clenched hands and leaving his pale white face as the only break of color against his black-clad silhouette, a stark contrast in the dim and gloomy living room area of the large house.

"My Lord." Severus greeted slowly and calmly and turned his head slightly, inclining it in an even bow to the greenish-white skinned man.

Voldemort walked slowly forward into full view, allowing Severus to see the ghost of a smile on his flat mouth,

"It is good to have you back at my side, you know. You come so efficiently to my call." he said with an unsettling smile in his voice. "My other Death Eaters reliability has been quite disappointing over the years, before I returned to the land of the corporeal and even now." Voldemort added in his quiet and haunting voice, which somehow conveyed his arrogance and amusement despite being so calm and evenly spoken, "And while most of them wasted away in Azkaban all those years, you, Severus, were serving an excellent purpose, infiltrating Hogwarts and gaining Dumbledore's trust." he added like it was the punchline to a personal joke and did something with his face that might have been a smirk, Severus tried not to look too hard at all those sharp, dark teeth. And besides, he could hardly tell with how tightly the skin was pulled across Voldemort's hairless visage.

He raised his eyebrows slightly as he watched Voldemort walk a slow and wide birth around him in the room, the Dark Lord going out of his line of sight again just when he spoke,

"All in service of you, your great Lordship." he said in his usual monotone, his response coming automatically to him as rehearsed as it was. And Severus noticed that he failed to inject any actual reverence into his tone, but Voldemort seemed not to notice and Severus assumed it was because he was always so tonelessly spoken.

"Yes, so you said before, and _that_ is the reason I've summoned you," he went on, "for you to give me information from within the walls of Hogwarts." Voldemort came into view again and turned to face Severus slowly as his red eyes settled directly on the professor, "Earlier this evening, when I asked young Draco, young _frightened_ Draco," he said with much mirth in his tone, blatantly mocking the boy he'd given the task of murder to –and was most likely expecting the boy to fail at, so that he could face punishment and shame just as Lucius would if he ever got out of Azkaban–, "whether there were any new developments at Hogwarts," at hearing this, Severus felt a cold weight drop into his gut because he just _knew_ what was coming next, "he told me of a new, young wizard, one who performs magic beyond his current year and has been revealed by the sorting hat to not only meet the very pinnacle of Slytherin house expectationssss, that of a dark past included…" Voldemort was definitely smirking now and Severus did his absolute best to appear impassive, "…but that he also seems to be a _powerful_ wizard." he took a step closer and Severus was overly aware of the cold air that seemed to permeate from Voldemort, raising goosebumps on his skin, "Tell me about this boy, Severus."

It was not a request.

Severus blinked once slowly, outwardly apathetic even as the realization set in that Edward was **not** aligned with Voldemort, but the odd sense of relief he felt at learning that was short lived in light of the fact that Voldemort was now asking about him, and all because of Draco and his inability to shut his mouth when he was afraid.

But nevertheless, he was forced to answer what was asked of him,

"He does seem to be quite a brilliant wizard my Lord, he passed all of his O.W-…"

"I don't care about his _grades,_ Severus," Voldemort snapped and splayed his hands palm up, his long yellowed nails sharp and pointed at the tips, "tell me of his personality, if you know of his intentions as a wizard with such potential, _tell me_ which side he followssss." he hissed on the last word, tilting his head to the side and blinking his eyes with a disturbingly audible click.

Severus realized then with a tense, cold knot in his stomach that Voldemort was probably going to want to recruit Edward, either that, or he'd order him to be killed. He knew he needed to tread carefully with his answers, but honestly, he wasn't sure that anything he said or didn't say would change the negative circumstances for Elric.

Taking a silent breath, he answered Voldemort as best and believably vague as he could,

"I only met him two days ago, my Lord, I do not know him very well," it was the truth, "but the sorting hat has always been reliable in its deductions, so if it sees a true Slytherin in the boy, then it is likely that its not mistaken."

Voldemort continued to smirk slyly, tilting his head the other way,

"And his intentions as well, then, yes?" he didn't wait for an answer, "Draco tells me the boy's bloodline is that of Von Hohenheim." the dark Lord's voice was back to being quiet and thoughtful, his eyes unblinking.

Severus was stunned for a second at that bit of information, and he frowned, his eyes widening in genuine surprise,

"The alchemist?" he asked uselessly just to fill the silence of his own shock, having already heard the rumor of Edward being an alchemist, but only now learning that not only was it true, but also of Elric's real last name. And with that being the case, Edward Von Hohenheim would certainly be just as ancient in lineage as the hat had said.

"Yesss," Voldemort finally blinked as he waved a dismissive hand, "a dead art because it was far too useless, but, a magical and pure bloodline all the same." he sounded very pleased, "I'm told his hair is as pure a blonde as any Malfoy and that his eyes are of gold," he chuckled and Severus barely managed not to shudder, "very fitting for an alchemist considering their most prominent interest was in making gold from lead." Voldemort sounded amused and mocking again, because alchemists had always been the joke of magical folk.

Silence settled then, until Severus belatedly realized the Dark Lord was expecting him to say something,

"His hair color is blonde, yes…" he said with a short nod, "…but very different from the Malfoy's." he explained, for no real reason other than to fill the silence. He was distracted, seriously worried now as his fears about Edward being powerful and coming from a strong and pure bloodline had just been confirmed. Honestly, even if the teen might be a half-blood, it didn't mean he'd be any weaker for it. As it was, himself and Voldemort were prime examples of half-blood wizards who had far exceeded their bloodline expectations in power.

That was quite possibly the only reason Voldemort hadn't killed Severus on sight the first time they'd met after the Dark Lord had first returned, and may very well be the reason he was so interested in Edward now, perhaps to find out whether he was really pure blood, or half-blood like they were.

"Hm, even so, he is a pure blood Slytherin wizard and I want to meet him," Voldemort stated plainly, "bring him to me." he took a few steps closer to Severus and all the professor could bring himself to do was incline his head in respectable affirmation. Once Voldemort took a few steps away again to idly pace the room, only then did Severus gather his thoughts enough to voice his concern,

"Considering the possibility that he is not of a true dark mind…my Lord?" he asked a half question, voice steady.

Voldemort raised his hairless brow and looked at Severus as if he were a halfwit,

"You will bring him against his will, of course." of course, "And should he decline my offer to stand in my ranks or even at my side, if he proves so worthy, then I will simply _make_ him do what I want or kill him." that sounded about right, Severus had expected as much, "Either way, whatever power he has shall be mine to command." the Dark Lord said surely, no doubt meaning he would use the Imperius Curse on Edward if coercion or threats didn't work.

Severus could only nod then, not daring to voice any other problems or thoughts regarding the Dark Lord's plan, because if Voldemort wished it, it would almost always be so.

"When shall I bring him, my Lord?" he asked after a beat of staring at Voldemort's dark clothed chest.

"As soon as possible."

Severus swallowed lightly,

"Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort regarded him for a moment longer before he slowly turned around and walked away, leaving the room and wordlessly dismissing Severus. The professor released a soft shaken breath then and took in another, fully aware of how filled with dread and cold he felt, but there was nothing for it, in the end, he had to play his role.

After another moment of steadying his breathing, he apparated back to Hogwarts.

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 _Next Chapter: Harry & Ron find out who Hermione's potions partner is & things begin to get more complicated.  
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	10. Decem

**A/N: For the full summary and detailed tags, please visit the AO3 upload.**

 **-I'd like to remind readers that I am writing from the movie and book, so if a few details contradict one or the other, please understand.  
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 **\- Please note, if you leave me a question in an unsigned review I cannot answer you.**

 **\- This chapter is lighter than what will come next and moving forward. Just a heads up.  
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 **-Thanks to Manalfedz who beta'd this chapter.**

 **-And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed! I hope you'll continue to enjoy.**

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 **It's hard to stay between the lines of skin**

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Having planned out the best course of action in getting ready for the school day after his first haphazard morning, the second went far smoother for Edward. Prudently -albeit grudgingly- he woke up at 5:30 AM, which was long before any of the other Slytherins were even remotely awake, and quietly made his way down to the showers, able to have the space all to himself for privacy and efficiency. And so by the time he was done showering, brushing his teeth, tying his hair, and was back in the dorm room fully dressed and sitting on his bedside tying the laces of his boots, only then did one of his roommates wake up. It was just after 6:30 at that point.

It'd been a good plan really, and a much nicer start to the day being able to take his time showering and dressing instead of rushing and ducking. And now all he hoped was that he'd gotten enough sleep to get through the day without clocking out too frequently on the desks in various classrooms, although to be fair, that had a lot to do with how boring school was in the first place.

And anyway, it wasn't that he cared about what the professors thought of him sleeping in their classes, because he didn't, but when the last words from Mustang to him from the night before, when he'd been about to leave the man's office had been:

" _Don't feel bad about enjoying high school, Fullmetal, oh, and try to get some proper sleep, you look like shit."_ , while he'd wanted to smack Mustang for the first part of that sentence, mostly because the older man had somehow been able to see that Edward wasn't finding having peers and going to school to be so bad and that was just bad for his general badass reputation, the second part had been said with genuine concern, and so Ed had taken it more seriously.

And Mustang hadn't been wrong about him looking like shit either. On his way from Mustang's office back to the dorms, Ed had taken a detour to a lavatory and he'd looked at himself in one of the mirrors for a tense minute or two, having taken note of the fact that while he felt fairly okay, he looked paler than ever, and the skin around his eyes were noticeably darker, as if he'd been deprived of sunlight and sleep for a long time.

He'd never seen himself look quite so…

In the end, he'd chalked his appearance up to being more stress related due to their circumstances, and yeah, maybe a lack of sunlight and proper sleep too. And so he'd gone straight to bed when he got back to the dorms, even though a few people had still been awake and sitting around the common room, Blaise and Nott included.

He'd told them he was tired when they called after him and they hadn't bothered to nag him about it, having laughed and said something about _'poor git' had detention on the first day'_ with amused sympathy.

Presently though, Ed felt properly rested and good to go, aside from the fact that he was hungry, but that wasn't unusual for him, and it was nearly breakfast time anyway. He finished tying the laces of his second boot over his pants just as Draco pulled his bed curtain back and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and looking quite tired and stressed himself as he rubbed his hands over his face. Ed glanced at him, noticing that his blonde hair was not slicked back as usual, but was actually comically untidy and sticking up all over his head, and since he was wearing only a sleeping shirt and pants, Edward could see then just how skinny he was.

When Ed stood up next, shifting his feet in his boots absently and flattening the front of his charcoal grey jumper with his gloved hands, Draco looked at him from across the room and caught his eye. Ed gave him a subtle nod of greeting and, somewhat hesitantly, the other blonde returned it, averting his eyes quickly after. Ed didn't think anything of it, because Draco was a pretty moody kid all around, and instead he turned back to his unmade bed –which had been miraculously made when he returned to the dorm the night before- and he picked up his robe, flaring it out before pulling it on.

Ed had never minded wearing a long overcoat, so he favored the cloak-like robe, and additionally, it was good that he had to wear it and that it was as lengthy as it was, because apparently, according to Blaise, McGonagall would not approve of the way he wore his boots over his pants, but because the robes covered most of his lower legs and also his black boots blended with his black pants, it wasn't so noticeable.

Once Ed had his robe on, now completely dressed in his uniform, annoying neck tie and everything, he grabbed his relevant books and his homework assignments, intending to go down to the common room and get the latter done because he hadn't had a chance to finish what had been left of it the day before after his last period.

Slipping his pocket watch into his pants and then his wand into the robe inner pocket, Edward left the room without a backward glance. He ascended the stairs up to the common room quickly and found it was peacefully empty but chilly there, despite being generally warmer than the rest of the school. He walked across the room and placed his books down on the large round table where he'd do his stupid homework, and then he turned to look at the unlit fireplace. Many things went through his head as he considered it, firstly the fact that he could attempt to replicate Mustang's fire alchemy. He wasn't a master at aiming for very precise and small targets by any means, but he could set the fireplace alight pretty easily, and because of magic, he wouldn't even need the ignition gloves.

He didn't realize he was smirking until he heard a noise on the stairs, and after neutralizing his expression he glanced back to find two Slytherin girls, dressed for the day, entering the common room and walking over to set their books down on a different table, seemingly also having homework to complete. Their presence served to remind Ed that he had to stick to using magic predominantly, to avoid the telling red and purple energy of the alchemy-magic blend. So, resigned, he pulled out his wand and pointed it briefly at the coals in the fireplace, starting up a fire with a wordless spell –and an annoyed expression- before he pulled out a chair, sat down and sorted through the work he had left to do.

The sheets of homework reminded him of how much he loathed paperwork, which he chose to blame on Mustang, since his laziness, so copious in amount, had probably rubbed off on Ed at some point. But at least the work wasn't as detailed or time consuming as dealing with military requisitions, reports and applications, and so it didn't take long to complete everything and within twenty minutes, when it was coming up to a quarter past seven, Ed was done. He sat back in the chair and slipped his pocket watch out, checking the time before he closed his written sheet work into his notebook. He raised an eyebrow at the dog-eared notes, knowing that it was an untidy set up, but he didn't give an honest shit about how crumpled the papers were, as long as everything was legible and correct. Mustang had always hated the untidiness of his reports, and that's mostly the reason why Ed did it in the beginning, but now it was just habit.

"Mate, I thought you'd still be asleep, how long have you been up here?" Blaise walked over then, carrying his books, looking properly dressed and wide awake. Ed had noticed that all of the Slytherins generally took pride in their appearance, since none of them ever left the dorms looking anything but properly uniformed and fairly well put together.

Ed shrugged and glanced briefly at the other teen standing to his side,

"Since six, I had to do fucking homework." he griped and ran a hand through his bangs on one side.

Blaise leaned back against the table beside him, facing the opposite direction as he looked down at Ed,

"So Mustang didn't make you do your homework in detention, eh?" he snorted and smirked, "I guess that'd be too easy and convenient." he reasoned and Ed just rubbed at the side of his face and shook his head, "What'd you do then?" Blaise asked, absently straightening his tie.

Ed sighed as much as his act of irritation over detention warranted,

"He made me study potions books that I've already read." it was the cover story he and the Colonel had come up with, "Apparently that's the best punishment for someone who falls asleep in his class because they think they know it all." he said it with an eye roll, repeating it just as Mustang had told him too.

"For two hours," Blaise looked momentarily horrified, "he made you **read** for **two hours**? That's a right punishment all on its own if you ask me." he laughed, nudging Ed's shoulder.

Ed just shook his head and smirked at the taller boy,

"Do you even know how to read, Blaise?" he jibed, and the other teen snorted at the friendly insult.

"Oi, yeah mate, I do, but funny you mention it, not so sure Crabbe and Goyle can." he snickered none too quietly.

Ed snickered too, a smirk drawing his mouth into a tilt,

"No surprise there."

"Not even as much smarts as a Weasley between the two of em'." Blaise confirmed with another snicker as Ed gathered up his books and stood up, the two of them moving away from the table toward the exit. The two teens left the dorm, and Ed estimated they'd reach the Great Hall with a few minutes to spare, so he'd be able to eat a fresh, satisfying breakfast.

They made their way through the hall in comfortable silence and only once they were making their way up the stairs to the first level of the castle, did Blaise strike up conversation with a grin and a nudge to Ed's side,

"So Ed, you're gonna be my partner for potions, right?" he looked as if he genuinely thought so.

Ed snorted,

"What? No way, so you can copy off me the entire time? No chance." he shook his head, his ponytail swaying from side to side as they walked.

"Come on, mate, I'm not actually so bad in potions," Blaise defended, "so you'll be more like a crutch, in case I need it." he seemed amused about his intentions.

"Hell no," Ed said plainly, but still wearing a smirk, "you'll have to find some other crutch."

Blaise deflated then, apparently having thought his plan to get Ed as a potions partner had been foolproof,

"You don't even av' a partner, and I'm not nearly the worst you could get. Think of whoever gets Crabbe and Goyle, or if they choose each other." he shook his head, half smiling and grimacing at the thought, "That'd be dismal, yeah?"

Ed grinned when he pictured that clusterfuck of a scenario,

"It'll be a _disaster_ …" he agreed with a snort, and then shrugged and glanced at Blaise, "…but, uh, I do actually have a partner for potions, so I can't anyway." he said seriously, and the other teen looked at him and frowned,

"Oh yeah, who'd you ask?"

"I didn't ask, she asked me." Ed said honestly as they turned a corner, passing a few other house students.

"Oh, a _she_ is it?" Blaise grinned, lowering his voice since the closer they got to the Great Hall the more of the early rising students were around, "Well, who is _she_ , then?" he asked with a smirk.

Edward raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked at the other teen with mild amusement and some curiosity, knowing that the rest of the Slytherins would all know about it by second period and would probably have a bad reaction, and wondering what Blaise's would be. He figured then that it would be best to just tell Blaise and get it over with, giving the taller boy a chance to decide early on if he still wanted to be buddies afterward,

"Hermione Granger." Ed said flatly.

"Wot?" Blaise didn't miss a beat with his stage whispered exclamation, his face contorting into disdain for a second before it eased quickly into perplexity, "Wait, mudblood, goody-goody Granger **asked you** , a Slytherin, to be her potions partner…" he sounded genuinely disbelieving, "…are you avin' me on, Ed?"

"Am I what?" Ed frowned, asking because he had no idea what the hell that question meant.

"Are you joking, mate?" Blaise huffed out a laugh.

Edward blinked from Blaise to the hallway ahead of them, one hand clutching his books at his side and the other tucked deep in his pants pocket,

"Nope, I'm not joking, she asked me yesterday in the library."

"In the lib-…" Blaise made a comical expression now, "…I feel like I don't even know you." and that was said with humor, so Ed assumed it was meant to be a joke and he smirked, seeing it as a good sign that Blaise wasn't sneering about how awful and _disgusting_ it all was.

They walked in silence for a minute then, Ed deciding there was nothing more he could say. Blaise on the other hand seemed to think of something, swiping his free hand over the lower half of his face as he raised his dark eyebrows,

"Well, thas' certainly weird," he muttered and Ed glanced at him, "Potter's friend asking a friend of Draco Malfoy to be her partner in class." the taller teen mused more to himself than for Ed's benefit, keeping his tone low and discreet as they entered the closed off corridor just before the Great Hall, and he sounded like he found it as suspicious as Ed had initially thought it to be.

Edward raised an eyebrow, thinking that he couldn't really be classified as Draco's _friend_ any more than he would be Blaise's _friend_ so early in their associations, but he didn't comment on that because it would be counterproductive, and instead he stayed on the original topic,

"We talked about the whole Slytherin, Gryffindor hate-hate relationship thing," he spoke quietly as well, so only Blaise would hear him, "and mutually decided that it was a personal request, from her to me, not from her house to my house sort of thing, so..." he shrugged, glancing around as they walked into the quiet hall, the food had not yet appeared, which annoyed Ed.

Blaise was looking at him with narrowed eyes, seemingly both amused and disturbed,

"You _talked_ about it, thas' so weird…" he mumbled, and then he broke out into a grin and leaned in nearer to speak more secretively, "…wait, wait, you said it was a _personal_ request, yeah?" Ed nodded as they made their way over to the Slytherin table and Blaise kept grinning, "Oh hell mate," Blaise grabbed his shoulder and shook him once, making Ed glance at him as his steps faltered, "I think she fancies ya'." the taller teen laughed quietly now and Ed narrowed his eyes at the odd leery look on Blaise's sharp face.

He had, of course, already considered that Hermione's interest in him was less than platonic, but he didn't want Blaise taking it too seriously, so he played it down as casually as he could,

"I think it's probably just because we have a common interest." Edward said, deciding it was actually the most plausible reason for Hermione taking that sort of an interest in him.

"Was' that?" Blaise asked as they stopped and stepped into seats at the mostly empty Slytherin table, not too far from the exit and on the side running parallel to the wall.

"We're both academically inclined." Ed answered, placing his books down on the bench beside him.

"You mean that you're both smart, bookworm types." Blaise simplified with a snort as he also set his books down and then turned to look at Ed, who just shrugged in response. So Blaise went on, "Well mate, it's gross because she's a mudblood," Ed half rolled his eyes, "but she's also really easy on the eyes, so I don't blame ya'." Blaise smirked at him, but then it faded to a mock serious expression and he shook his head, "But she is a **mudblood** , so you might get some kind of commoners disease if you snog her." he was trying not to laugh at his own stupid joke, giving Ed a look that said ' _what are you thinking?_ '

Ed returned the look with one that expressed just what an idiot he thought Blaise was, and then he frowned,

"Snog?" because again, what did that even mean?

"Bloody hell…" Blaise laughed quietly, shaking his head, "…snog mate, it means to kiss."

Ed snorted this time and shook his head at Blaise as he set his elbows on the table and folded his arms,

"Blaise, aside from that disease shit not even making any sense," he pointed out and Blaise shrugged facially as he leaned on the table too, "she's just my potions partner, so get your fucking mind out of the gutter." Ed said flatly, and then raised his eyebrows in question when Blaise stopped smiling and frowned at him,

"It really doesn't bother you, does it?" he asked seriously.

Ed waited a beat, considering the best course of action in handling the question, and deciding there was only one way to do so, he looked at Blaise in the eye and chose to get it cleared up once and for all,

"No, it doesn't," he said quietly and seriously, "I don't care about all that pure-blood bullshit." he added and then tilted his head, leveling Blaise with a curious look and a cocked eyebrow. "Does it bother you that it doesn't bother me?" he asked in a tone that was unintentionally flat and humorless and Blaise tensed just slightly, regarding Ed with maintained eye contact for so long that the food even popped up.

Ed ignored the food though, and stayed focused on the other teen, because aside from determining whether they'd remain 'friends', Blaise's decision would outline what sort of person he actually was, and Ed would know how best to manage their association going forward.

Blaise eventually looked away, glancing around the empty-ish area where they sat as he sighed, and he reached for a jug of pumpkin juice then, bringing it to pour some into the cup at his place setting as he answered quietly,

"Honestly, not really," he finished pouring and set the jug down before he went on, "I, uh…don't even know if I'm really pure-blood…" he added in a mumble, and then hesitated before glancing at Ed, almost as if to make sure there was no judgment to be found after his confession, and when he did indeed find nothing but neutral interest on Ed's face, he went on with a shrug, "…but as a Slytherin…you know, as a general rule and all that."

"You have to inherently hate anyone who isn't pure-blood." Ed stated quietly with a light shake of his head as he pulled his gloves off, setting them down on his books before he reached over to a tray filled with boomerang shaped, lightweight pastry foods which he'd found the day before that he quite liked.

Blaise sipped his juice and then answered,

"Well, not so much alf'-bloods, they're not as bad off," he set his cup down and reached for the large dish of scrambled eggs nearby, "some Slytherin's know that I might be only alf', and they don't really care. Even Draco… he's alright with it mostly," Blaise dished eggs onto his plate, "but he won't let anyone besides Crabbe and Goyle get too close to im' as proper friends."

"Because they're pure-blood?" Ed asked as he finished adding filling to his pastry and then bit into it.

Blaise nodded, continuing to fill his plate with breakfast food, their entire conversation remaining hushed since Ed figured Blaise was divulging information that was probably not just anyone's business. He nodded in understanding of the taller teen and then sighed as he took another bite out of the soft, flaky pastry,

"Huh…all that stress over a bloodline." Ed mumbled around his mouthful as he went about pouring himself coffee, the pot of wonderful caffeinated liquid having thankfully appeared much closer to him that time.

"Yeah…but you don't really av' any idea about it though, do ya?" Blaise forked some eggs and a bite of toast into his mouth, chewing a bit before he glanced at Ed and went on, "I'm guessing it's because you don't seem to know much about…you-know-who." his voice was even lower when he said that, the teen swallowing his mouthful and glancing around again just in case before looking back to Ed, "But yeah, it's a big deal, I mean…the entire war going on is based on getting rid of all muggles and mudblood wizards and witches." he whispered then, and hell, it was a damn revealing and sensitive piece of information.

Ed's eyebrows went up in genuine surprise at hearing that and he looked at Blaise for a steady moment as he chewed slowly and then swallowed his second bite of pastry.

When he spoke next, his voice as quiet as Blaise's had been, Ed forced apathy into his tone and expression,

"He wants to kill them all?" he asked in a more or less bland tone, careful not to sound too interested one way or another. Blaise hesitated to answer, as if hearing it stated so candidly tripped him up, but then he nodded with a small frown on his face, a frown that wasn't clear as being either concern or just wariness. Ed continued to look at him as he absorbed that information, but when Blaise started to look nervous, like he might be regretting what he'd just revealed to Ed, the blonde forced himself to avert his gaze, and with a steady hand he brought the last bite of his pastry to his mouth to continue eating, making a point of seeming unaffected as he added, "huh." before stuffing the bite of food into his mouth.

Edward knew it was best for his cover that he didn't show any kind of reaction on the outside, even though that piece of information was pretty fucking staggering. He'd suspected it would be bad, whatever whatshisface's plan was, but learning that it was so much like Father's had been was infuriating and sickening…and also, it was worse somehow too, because it was even _more_ morally corrupt. With Father, he'd planned to take lives, yes, but he'd intended to use them, to his thinking, for a purpose in seeking power and godhood, so however twisted it had been, there'd been an end game, a goal, something exchanged, something gained. But with this dark wizard guy, he just wanted to kill other magic folk because they weren't pure enough in blood, just because he didn't _want_ them around, and that was seriously fucked up on a whole other level as far as Ed was concerned.

And it really wasn't great that Ed was able to find any kind of moral differentiation between the two heinous plots, because that wasn't _nearly_ right…but he didn't have time right then for intense self-reflection, because he needed to keep up appearances. Deciding that, he was just about to reach for the eggs and start dishing some into his plate, but then Blaise nudged him in his side with an elbow,

"There's your girl, Ed." he said quietly.

Ed looked at him with an annoyed glare, intending to elbow him back, but then seeing a grin on the other teen's face, he followed Blaise's gaze to where he was looking at the entrance of the room, and there, walking into the Great Hall was Hermione, and beside her was Ginny, the red haired girl he'd met the day before in the library.

Edward didn't bother to correct Blaise on his comment of ' _your girl'_ because he likely wouldn't listen, and also, he had no intention of staring at the two girls like some weirdo. But before he could look away, he watched, not without amusement, as Ginny glanced around the hall, noticed him, and then quite blatantly tugged on Hermione's robe sleeve to get her attention before the red head gestured over –unsubtly- to where he and Blaise were sitting.

Hermione had a light frown of confusion on her face at first, until she looked over to where Ginny was gesturing and she saw them, her eyes going wide and her hold on her armful of books tightening. Ed knew without looking over that Blaise was trying and failing not to smile at her obvious reaction, and while Ed thought their behavior -all three of them- was pretty immature, he figured it made sense because, hey, that was high school.

So, in the spirit of things, Ed decided to make the situation just a tad more awkward –because why the hell not-, and he gave Hermione a close lipped and intentionally familiar smile, and even from across the distance, he was able to see that she turned a pretty shade of red. And Ed honestly expected her to turn away, embarrassed, but then she surprised him when she smiled back, sweet and slight, before she did something like a nod.

Beside him, Blaise was full on grinning now, and when Ginny _waved_ , making Hermione look at her and then around the hall with wide eyes, Ed smiled at the redhead too, unable to help showing a few of his teeth since he was impressed with her candor and disinterest over the stupid 'must hate each other' rule. At that point, Hermione blushed darker and stopped walking, grabbing Ginny abruptly and turning her around to face the bench so they could sit down, closer to the front of the hall near the teachers table.

When they were no longer looking, Blaise laughed quietly, placing his head almost on the table beside his plate as he tried to keep his snickers quiet. Ed looked at him,

"What's so fucking funny?" he asked, though he was still smirking out of amusement himself.

"Did ya'…" Blaise snorted and snickered a bit more and then calmed down some, enough to speak quietly, "…did you see Granger's face? She was red as hell when you smiled at her. Mate, she _definitely_ likes you." he insisted then, shaking his head with a smile as he picked up his fork to resume eating.

Ed blinked from Blaise to his own plate, considering that, yes, it most certainly seemed that that might be the case.

"And even Ginny Weasley's smiling at you," Blaise said around a mouthful of food, "two fit Gryffindor girls, Ed, you're a lucky guy." he added, sounding genuinely impressed.

Ed frowned at him, ignoring the end part of Blaise's statement in favor of what came before,

"Weasley?" he remembered the last name, "She's related to that idiot, Ron Weasley?" he frowned, genuinely surprised to hear that.

Blaise picked up his snickering again and nodded,

"Bloody right, can't believe it, can ya'?"

Ed shook his head, raising his eyebrows as he huffed out a laugh, honestly unable to see the two as siblings, because aside from the red hair, they gave off two completely different vibes, seemed nothing alike. He and Blaise were still smiling in amusement when Pansy walked up to the table with books in her arms and the twin sisters on either side of her,

"Morning, boys." she said with her usual thin, sly smile as she stepped into a seat across from them.

They both tried to neutralize their expressions, Ed having more luck than Blaise, who cleared his throat,

"Mornin' Pans." he said, looking down at his food with an ill-concealed grin.

"Hey." Ed greeted, glancing smoothly from Pansy to the teachers table, absently looking for Mustang -who hadn't been there when they'd walked in- but instead he spotted Snape amongst the other professors.

"Something funny?" Ed heard Pansy asking.

Blaise answered, saying something to Pansy about making fun of Ron Weasley, but Edward didn't pay too much attention, because he had to stop himself from frowning when he found that Snape had been staring at him rather intensely, and then the man had looked away stiffly when Ed caught him at it.

And it was odd, because Snape hadn't looked at him angrily like he'd just been since the first time they'd met and Ed had been late to take his tests. He glanced down at his plate briefly, wondering where the sudden hostility came from and then he looked to the teachers table again, but Snape was still looking away, so Ed trailed his eyes over the rest of the professors and found that Mustang still wasn't at breakfast.

Not knowing what to make of any of it, Ed shrugged it off and turned his attention back to eating breakfast and to listening as Pansy shared her unkind thoughts about the Weasley family.

* * *

First period passed without a hitch, and Ed knew that History of Magic was going to become his regular nap class.

Next for everyone though, was second period Potions, and Ed noticed, amused, that the students seemed wide awake, and after they'd all filed into the class, everyone fell silent really quickly, apparently all eager to get the lesson going. Ed found himself mentally commending Mustang as he settled into his own seat, impressed by the Colonel's ability to get his subordinates to like him so quickly and to respect him enough to stay in line.

Once the class was settled, Ed sitting with Blaise, Nott and Goyle at one of the tables, Mustang stood up, came around his desk to lean back against it and he smiled evenly at the class,

"Alright, I've been over your work from yesterday," he announced, "and only five people will have to sit aside from the rest of the class and revisit the books to rewrite the one page essay on understanding potion chemistry." he explained and then lifted a few sheets of paper off the desk behind him.

Tuning Mustang's teacher routine out, Ed looked the older man over from head to toe, trying to assess whether he was alright since he hadn't been at breakfast that morning. Ed noted that the Colonel seemed about the same as yesterday, not as primly groomed as Ed was used to back home -with product in his hair and his face straight razor shaven-, but okay otherwise, which meant he was still stressed out but not any more affected by it.

Ed's mind drifted then, wondering if Mustang's stress was mostly about the fact that back home he had a massive promotion, four ranks up, from Colonel to General waiting for him, and that he had people relying on him to fulfill all of the promises and commitments that he'd made to change things. And now he was gone without a trace and had no clue what was going on, whether Grumman had been sworn in as the new Fuhrer yet, if Ishval was being sorted out, its people compensated for their suffering.

And then there was also the terrifying possibility which plagued them both, the possibility that the array that had brought him and Mustang there to the magic world had had some kind of after activation effect…and that their world was falling to pieces, frozen in time, or maybe everyone was dead...

Ed quickly pushed the dreaded thoughts from his mind, knowing Mustang probably did the same thing in order to preserve his calm and sanity, and really, they had to…or else how the hell would they deal?

"…-mus Finnigan," Mustang's voice interrupted his thoughts and Ed refocused, watching the Colonel flip each page as he went, "Gregory Goyle…Neville Longbottom, Vincent Crabbe and Susan Bones." he looked up when he was done and gestured with the papers to an occupied desk near the front of the class, "The five of you can sit up front here to work on the essay," the group of Ravenclaw's occupying that desk immediately started getting up to move, "And the rest of you can spread out and pair up with your chosen partners." Mustang added, turning to place the pages back on the desk.

Edward glanced around as the noise level went up when the students started to move and talk, a few people apparently still hadn't decided on partners, and Ed glanced over to find Blaise leaning over to pull on Nott's robe to ask if he had a partner. Slowly but surely though, everyone found partners, and Ed realized that he would probably have to be the one to go over to Hermione, since she was looking nervous, keeping her gaze down and staring at the cauldron stand on the desk she occupied with a few other people in the back corner of the room.

' _She's probably fretting about whether to come over here where all the Slytherins are.'_ Ed smirked slightly at the thought, and then with a quiet huff he got up. And since very few people were still reorganizing themselves, when he stood up, all of the Slytherins – and several other students- immediately looked at him, Blaise and Mustang being the only two people who glanced over at Hermione's desk knowingly.

It was even less helpful that just about all of the students had paired themselves up with people in their own houses, especially the Slytherins, and so when Ed grabbed his notebooks and walked across the class to a desk where Hermione, Harry Potter and an olive skinned girl with long black hair were sitting, there was a none too hushed murmur throughout the class that erupted in his wake. Ed could clearly hear the whispered questions of ' _Where's he going?_ ' and ' _Who's his partner?_ ' and a muttered hiss of ' _What the hell?_ ' -that one was from Ron Weasley- and only when he arrived at the desk where Hermione was situated, did everyone start to go quiet again.

Ed didn't hesitate to place his books down, pull out the stool and set himself on it, right beside Hermione, who looked at him and very quietly said ' _thanks_ ', to which he nodded subtly in response. She obviously had been too uncertain about what to do, and honestly, it was pretty ridiculous how many people were intimidated by the house segregation, letting it affect them so seriously.

Curious about his own house, Ed glanced over at the Slytherins, and wasn't surprised to find that they didn't look impressed with him in the least, especially Draco. But when Ed caught his eye intending to meet his glare head on, the other blonde looked away again…and Ed noted then, that Draco had done it twice that day and Snape once, which was definitely suspicious.

"Alright, everyone's set, so let's move on." Mustang said in his naturally authoritative tone of voice and got the classes attention again, "The ingredients have already been laid out on the desks for you, so now, _without_ a reference book and only using your Potions; Sixth Year text book, I'd like you in pairs, working _together_ , to brew the Draught of Living Death." he instructed, casting a look over the room of students.

Edward looked around too, noticing then that most of the kids were still surreptitiously glancing over at him sitting beside Hermione. But he didn't give them the satisfaction of acknowledgement and looked to the front again as Mustang went on,

"For those of you who are successful in this assignment, we will go on to brewing _Amortentia_ tomorrow." the girls seemed to sit up straighter at that and Ed raised an amused eyebrow, "And things will work the same way going forward; individual essay first, potion brewed in pairs to follow, and the quicker you are able to understand and then complete a potion, the sooner you and your partner will move on to the next." Mustang grinned, and Ed knew that smile, knowing that the Colonel was about to give everyone some worthwhile incentive, he could just see it in the smug look on the older man's face, "And if you happen to finish every potion in the curriculum with plenty of time to spare, then my class will become a free period, every period, to those of you who manage it."

There was a chorus of noise then, pleasant shock and excitement, and yup, Mustang had them hooked, and of course, the bastard knew what he was doing. Back home, he'd often used days off, half days or promises to buy lunch for his unit as rewards for work assignments –mostly his own paperwork pending completion- carried out efficiently and properly and meeting a deadline.

"Alright, begin." Mustang said with a nod and half wave, and Ed kept his eyes on the Colonel, watching him take in a patient breath before going over to the five failures at the front desk to micromanage them.

Ed just about managed not to smile at the older man's plight, blinking his gaze back to his own group, and upon looking at the occupants at the desk, he found Harry Potter glaring at him, but only for a moment before the dark haired teen looked at Hermione instead,

"He's the partner you wouldn't tell me about yesterday?" he asked her in a plainly disapproving tone, but at least quietly enough that only the four of them heard.

Hermione tensed up beside Ed and she glanced at him before setting her jaw and looking back at Harry, leaning in,

"Yes, he is, and can you please not do this now?" she asked quietly, and Ed really didn't like the pleading tone in her voice. Why did she need to explain herself to anyone, especially someone who was supposed to be her friend?

"How could you say yes to being _his_ partner, Hermione?" Harry ignored her request completely and glanced over at the desk nearby, where Ron was sitting with Lavender Brown.

Ed just blinked placidly at the bespectacled boy, remembering -with inappropriate fondness- the last time he'd hit a guy with those same stupid-looking round glasses…so many times, in fact, that he'd very nearly killed him.

"Actually…" Ed looked from Potter to Hermione when she sat up and affected a confident air, "…I asked him." she admitted, lifting her chin up a bit and making that cute, stubborn pout she often did.

"You **what**?" Ron asked loudly from a table over, and Mustang looked sharply at him, making Ron shrink in his chair and swallow visibly before muttering an apology.

Hermione was breathing a bit deeper now, clearly becoming upset as she looked between Harry and Ron, and then she glanced at Ed, seeming a bit stuck on how to proceed, and to defuse the tension she was feeling, he smiled roguishly at her and raised his eyebrows,

"I could punch em' both in the face if you wanted, I wouldn't mind." he offered in the simplest and most sincere tone of voice…kind of, sort of meaning what he offered, too.

Ron sat up straighter then, looking comically worried and angry at the same time, and Harry blinked owlishly a few times, probably trying to figure out whether it was a legitimate offer…slash threat. Hermione, quite sweetly stunned, couldn't help but laugh quietly, looking relieved and clearly not taking it seriously, apparently finding it rather charming if the light blush that bloomed over her nose was anything to judge by. And even the dark haired girl sitting across from Ed at the table was smiling as she fiddled idly with a mixing stick.

Hermione touched a hand to her mouth, as if to temper her smile, and when she'd composed herself she moved it away again, shaking her head as she looked at him,

"Heavens no, Ed, thank you, but there is no need to…punch anyone." she cleared her throat then, and managed to properly stop smiling when she turned to her friends, "I'd appreciate it though, if you two would stop acting so childish." she added quietly, looking from Harry to Ron, who were both not amused.

There was a loaded silence that followed as the three friends looked intensely at one another, but after a minute it was broken by the dark haired girl,

"Hello, Edward, I'm Padma Patil." she randomly introduced herself in a quiet and almost bored tone of voice, completely ignoring the frowning look that Harry shot her way.

Ed smiled evenly at her,

"Hi, Padma, call me Ed." he greeted back, leaning his elbows on the table, getting comfortable.

"Alright, Ed." she repeated and then tracked her gaze downward and raised an eyebrow, "So, why do you wear gloves indoors?" she asked, not seeming to find her question forward. Edward didn't really mind anyway, not much one for social politeness himself, and he glanced at his hands, ready to answer.

But before he could, Harry quipped,

"Probably something to hide." his tone was stiff and just shy of hostile.

Edward slid his gaze from his hands to look at him, and Harry tensed up, his hand sliding off the desk and under, in a far from smooth move to reach for his wand inside his robe. And the action revealed two things to Ed about the boy, one; he perceived Ed to be some kind of serious threat to feel the need to reach for his wand, and two; he was used to, and expected conflict or violence toward himself.

He would get neither from Ed though, even if he was practically asking for it.

Calmly, Ed looked back to his glove covered hands and he nodded,

"Yeah, sort of, I have scars on my hands." he admitted, not lying entirely, because while he did have scars, he'd always worn gloves to hide his automail, but now he wore them out of long instilled habit.

"Oh, what scars?" Padma asked with wide, interested eyes.

Smirking, Ed pulled his left glove off by the fingers -because that hand had the most scars-, and he held his hand up and spread his long fingers out to show Padma the white lines of raised and flat scar tissue marring his knuckles, before he made a tight fist that cracked his knuckles pointedly,

"Scars from fighting, punching people…" he said levelly, "…usually hard enough to break something." and with an intentionally devilish glint in his eyes, the kind that usually made people very wary of him, he looked from Potter to Weasley.

And that time, he could hear Ron swallow even from that far away.

Padma's eyes were wide and she smiled a bit awkwardly while Hermione was staring at his hand,

"Are you…serious?" she asked quietly, sounding uncertain and not smiling at all.

Ed turned his head to look at her, and she'd leaned a bit closer so she sat back and he nodded once, meeting her gaze sincerely.

"Is that supposed to scare us?" Harry asked with a tense scoff, but his display of pluck was wasted on Ed, who knew better and should have just ignored him. But he experienced a rather unexpected flare in his temper just then, and let it wash over him, clenching his jaw and leveling Harry with a severe look that made Ron lean back at the other table, while Padma and Hermione's eyes widened just that much more.

Harry stiffened abruptly in his seat and his adam's apple bobbed, but before Ed could actually verbally threaten the obnoxious, four-eyed, mouthy brat, a hand landed firmly on his shoulder,

"Everything alright here?" Mustang asked, his voice dousing the intense heat of Ed's sudden anger immediately, which was the opposite of how that usually worked. Ed slowly unclenched his left fist, wondering if Mustang had sensed how pissed off he was from all the way at the front of the classroom.

"Y-yes, sir, we're fine." Hermione squeaked and tried to smile.

Mustang wanted an answer from him though, and Ed knew it, so he relaxed under the hand on his shoulder,

"Yeah…" and let his ire deflate with the help of Mustang's grounding presence, "…we're fine, no harm done," he kept his eyes on Harry, "ye-…"

"Now, now…" Mustang knowingly cut him off, squeezing his shoulder subtly. And Ed, knowing the various tones of his C.O. after years of working under him, recognized the underlying warning in the Colonel's deceptively calm voice, and he closed his eyes in irritation, trying to reel his temper in and wondering just why the hell he felt so angry all of a sudden. Mustang's hand remained on his shoulder, squeezing again, less as a warning and more as a comfort that time, "…let's remember that you're all _kids_ who go to the same school." he said calmly, looking at everyone in turns, and Ed didn't miss the emphasis on the word 'kids', a reminder indeed.

A reminder that he was surrounded by children…despite them being his own age, they were nothing like him.

When everyone at the table nodded, including Ed, the older man turned to address the class, his hand remaining where it rested firmly on Ed's shoulder,

"In my class, I encourage mixed house interaction…" everyone turned to look at Mustang, "…and I suggested to Hermione and Edward yesterday that it would be a good idea to reach out to a classmate, regardless of house orientation, to share their extensive knowledge," he said in all seriousness, "because in **my** class, sharing knowledge is very important and that takes precedence over _anything_ else, understood?" he asked in his firm ' _You better do as I say or I'll set you on fire_ ' tone of voice.

And Ed and Hermione were the only ones who knew that story was a damn lie, but Ed saw the purpose behind it, so he looked along with everyone else in the class at Hermione, and he gave her an encouraging look so that she would back Mustang up, since he was just trying to keep her –and Ed too- from being ostracized.

Hermione blinked a few times and then smiled slowly, glancing self-consciously around the class, the entirety of which was staring only at her for some reason, everyone except for Ed, who saw Mustang give her a discreet wink just before he let his hand slide off Ed's shoulder and he walked away.

She seemed to relax after that though, and the class did too, but then someone complained,

"What's the point of sharing their extensive knowledge if they just went off and picked the other smartest person in the class?" a Hufflepuff student whined as Mustang passed him.

And Mustang just shrugged,

"I was as surprised as you are, kid." he said lamely in response, and Hermione blushed when everyone looked at her again, every student seemingly preferring to avoid looking at Ed. Except for Blaise that is, he was grinning from ear to ear while Nott was frowning in confusion over the other boy's amusement.

Ed decided then that they'd wasted enough time and he turned on his stool to more or less face Hermione, reaching out and turning on the small gas burner beneath the cauldron. And Ed was glad to see that Hermione didn't miss a beat, following his lead and opening the book to the potion-making directions.

Padma was about to do the same, reaching for her potions textbook when Harry stopped her,

"Let's go over there, Padma." he said with a mild glare at Ed, who just glanced at him disinterestedly and then at Padma when she shrugged and stood up,

"Okay, whatever." she said with an exasperated sigh before she grabbed her books and followed Harry.

When four-eyes and Padma had left and were setting up at another table, Hermione, who'd intentionally ignored the small exchange, had just finished adding the water and salt together in a beaker, and she was just picking up the _Infusion of Wormwood_ bottle when Ed leaned closer to her to ask quietly,

"What's his problem, ex-boyfriend or something?" he played dumb, already suspecting that wasn't the case, and he also wasn't really expecting to get an in-depth or revealing answer of Potter's no doubt deep-seated issues, but seriously, he just felt like saying something because that's what the bastard had acted like…and also, Ed just wanted to see Hermione blush.

Which she did so prettily as she looked at him and shook her head quickly, nearly dropping the bottle she held,  
"Oh, Harry? No…no, no…and Ron, too, really we're **just** friends…" she whispered with a small awkward smile that faded to a serious look, one that told Ed that she wanted him to understand they were _really_ just friends.

' _Huh, maybe she does like me.'_ he thought then, and since it seemed more and more likely, it begged the question, what would he do about that? Or more importantly, should he do anything about it or just ignore it before it became more obvious?

It seemed harmless enough to see how it played out, so after a few seconds Ed smirked,

"Okay," he said quietly, and then dared to encourage her by adding, "good." quietly, purposely looking straight into her eyes when he said it, throwing in a smile. And he discreetly reached out to take the bottle of wormwood from her slowly relaxing hand before she could drop it over onto the desk…because she looked a bit dazed, her face reddening all over again.

Her reaction to that told Ed clearly enough that she did in fact like him, basically confirmed it actually.

He backed off a little then, giving her some space, and in the minute it took Hermione to clear her head, he added the water and salt to the heated cauldron and then was careful with adding in the wormwood liquid to the precise amount the book specified before he looked at her again to see what she was doing. Hermione had a small smile on her face, and she was busy preparing the valerian root liquid. And she seemed distracted, but she caught herself before she had cut up too many roots, and only when she was done preparing the mixture did she turn to him.

They settled into comfortable silence then, the next step in the recipe being to extract juice from hard beans, and since the book said cut, Hermione picked up the available -very sharp- knife, and Ed could immediately see that it was not going to work out doing it that way, because the surface of the large beans were smooth and it was hard and it'd probably fly off and take someone's eye out if the knife slipped.

"Wait a second…" he reached over and stopped her with a gloved hand on one of her own. She paused and had to look up at him because he'd stood up to stop her and he was standing beside her now, "…does the book really say to cut it?" he asked as he skimmed the page of text, reading it for himself, leaving his hand where it was rested atop hers on the knife handle.

It wasn't that he was unaware of her nervous posture or the red tinged shell of her ear where her hair was tucked behind it; it was just that he was enjoying it. Winry usually got flustered like that, red in her cheeks and ears and neck, except she was usually pissed off at him for something when that happened. But there had been the rare occasion when he'd seen her, and he'd mentioned that she looked pretty or nice, and at those times she'd pinken from her forehead right down to the swell of her chest.

Ed had caught on quickly then that compliments made Winry's temper cool off really quick, and so he'd started using it as a fight deterrent when it came to her, well, that and jewelry, because buying her earrings and stuff worked really well too. Al had enlightened him about the benefits of gift giving actually, after all, his smooth little brother knew his stuff when it came to girls. And really, despite how complex they could be, females weren't so different at the root of it all. Sure, they liked sweet words and smiles, good manners, compliments, thoughtful gifts and subtle but easily readable flirtation, but like most human beings, respect and acknowledgment was what counted most.

That last bit Ed had learned from being around Riza Hawkeye, and hell, you don't work with grown men all your life and learn nothing from their mistakes and successes with the fairer sex. Ed had heard all the plays and witnessed all the ways in which one could potentially land a girl, and he'd also seen all the ways guys had messed up too.

Of course, he hadn't the time or interest back then to utilize that knowledge…but now…

"Uh, yes…yes, it says to cut it." his train of thought derailed at her quiet response and Ed shook his head,

"That doesn't make sense, how the fuck do you extract juice out of a bean by cutting it?" he asked himself more than anything, ignoring her wide-eyed look when he swore.

He let go of her hand then and picked up one of the sopophorus beans before sitting back down and considering his options. No one could use their wand because it wasn't allowed, it'd be like cheating, but since the whole thing was a fake grade for him anyway, as long as Hermione was with him, she wasn't getting failed by Mustang either. So Ed decided to use alchemy, a very, very small amount, to easily solve the problem,

"Hand me that cup, would ya'?" he gestured to an unused measuring cup at the edge of the table and Hermione grabbed it and gave it to him. Ed picked up a few more of the beans and held them in his ungloved hand just over the cup, and then he looked at Hermione with a sly smile that Alphonse had always said was a sign that he was about to break the rules.

Heh, Al always did know him so well.

"Is anyone watching us?" he asked quietly, making sure to maintain eye contact with her, keeping her distracted.

She blinked, getting caught up in his mischievous tone with a curious tilt of her head as she frowned,

"I don't think so, why?" she whispered, looking at him and not around the class or at his hand. And sitting as close as they were, just a foot apart, Ed assumed anyone actually watching them would be too interested in what they might be talking about so closely to notice his hand where it carefully rested on the rim of the cup.

"Why do you think?" he asked quietly…and was surprised by the fact that her eyes very briefly darted to his mouth. Huh, apparently, she had way more confidence in herself than he'd given her credit for…

Of course, they were in class, and she didn't forget herself, but at least her focus elsewhere meant that she didn't notice that he was alchemically separating the liquid of the bean from the flesh, using a slight enough energy charge that the juice was dripping into the cup in increments and the transmutation was contained inside his fist.

When she broke eye contact, glancing around the class discreetly and tucking more of her wavy brown hair behind her ears, Ed hurried the transmutation along until all that was left in his palm were dried, hard chunks and crumbs of the beans, completely dried out. She looked back at him after a few seconds and was about to say something about whatever she'd been thinking was going to happen, but Ed cut her off by gesturing with his eyes to the measuring cup that had a few shallow ounces of bean juice in it.

Her eyes widened briefly before she reined in her shock and looked at him, disapprovingly whispering,

"Did you use magic?"

"Did you see me use magic?" he cocked an eyebrow.

She blinked, her frown easing up as she glanced at the cup and over the desk,

"Well, no…"

"Because I didn't." he admitted, and it was true, he'd used alchemy. He opened his palm then and let the dried up bits of bean fall on the table top before he picked up the remaining beans and held them in his hand over the cup as well, repeating the process with her attention on the droplets of liquid seeping from his loose fist.

Hermione looked unsettled, glancing uncertainly from the instructions in the book to his hand as he finished extracting the juice and then added the liquid into the cauldron. It was obvious that she usually only did things by the book, a stickler for the rules, but after a few hesitant seconds, she huffed softly and picked up the beaker in which she'd mixed her reduced liquid valerian root and she handed it to him.

Ed held the beaker for a few seconds, alchemically testing its exact weight and feeling its exact composition before he looked at her and said,

"Wow, precise measurements, nice." he complimented quietly, and her eyes widened,

"I…well, yes, wait…" she frowned, "…wait, how can you…how…?" she asked quietly as she took the beaker back from him when he handed it to her, and he gestured for her to add the liquid to the cauldron, and while she did that, Ed glanced over at Mustang.

The Colonel was watching a table of Slytherins with a look that clearly said they weren't doing very well.

Ed didn't answer Hermione's question, lapsing into silence again as she did the stirring. He personally found the instructions on _how to stir_ to be completely nonsensical, since there was no way that specifically directed stirs apart from duration or blending requirements, should affect a chemical outcome. But it was _magic_ school, so he didn't mess with the process, lest people start to ask questions about his way of doing things…like Hermione had just a moment earlier, curious about his ability to test ingredients so accurately.

Next in the recipe, they added more chopped up Valerian root, and Ed noted that Hermione had good measurement judgment, so he didn't intervene with her work. And then afterwards when she was done, he measured out the powdered asphodel precisely and added it to the simmering cauldron. He could tell that Hermione wanted to say something then, so he looked at her questioningly, and after a huff she gave in, suggesting that they leave the mixture to simmer a bit longer than the book instructed because she'd recently read that the better dissolved the root was, the more efficacy it had.

Ed smiled and nodded in agreement with her suggestion, glad that she'd given over into stepping outside of the exact recipe and was attempting to work from her knowledge of the ingredients instead, just as Mustang had encouraged, because chemistry was, after all, only as accurate and as impressive as the chemist was.

Hermione continued stirring then, and they both stood up and watched as the lightly bubbling liquid turned a silver lilac colour before Hermione added one more piece of root. She then continued stirring until the liquid cleared up slowly to become completely transparent, which was the desired result according to the book.

She was smiling at the result, and Ed took that to mean she wasn't mad about his little 'cheating' stunt, but even if she wasn't mad, she was apparently still curious, turning to him before she enquired very quietly,

"Was that…what you did with the sopophorous bean," she glanced to the side and then back at him, tipping her head down, "was it…alchemy?" her eyes revealed her sincere curiosity.

Ed raised an eyebrow, not surprised that she'd heard about him being an alchemist through the student grapevine, considering that Mustang had even heard that 'rumor', it made sense.

He inclined his head in answer, and then added,

"Just don't tell anyone."

He believed that she wouldn't when she nodded in agreement, and then she smiled, showing some of her pretty white teeth,

"Will you…I mean, can you show me?" she asked just as quietly.

That request was somewhat unexpected, since magic folk had such a low opinion of alchemy as they knew it, but Hermione had already shown that she wasn't so closed-minded. That aside though, it was also a tricky request because showing her alchemy would mean compromising his cover…but then, maybe not, maybe it'd be fine if he only showed her something she already knew of, like the kind of halfwit alchemy that fit with the description of alchemy in the books of that world. That would be pretty safe, because he wouldn't be giving anything away.

Even thinking that, it still seemed like a risky idea, so Ed just shrugged,

"I could, yeah…some time." he said noncommittally. There was a part of him that wanted to though, because while he knew that he shouldn't be getting any closer to a girl who liked him in a world that wasn't even his own, the part of his personality that had previously been dormant was saying fuck it, because honestly, she was really attractive and he was seventeen, so could he really be blamed for his interest?

He would never let it get out of hand, obviously, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy her company.

She was about to respond when Mustang interrupted the class,

"Alright, time is up." he looked at everyone to stop what they were doing, ignoring the grumbled complaints, "There's only five minutes left in this class for assessment, so, has anyone…" Mustang started walking between the desks, looking into cauldrons, "…successfully…" he gave one of the cauldrons he passed a definitive shake of his head to say it wasn't going to pass and then moved on, "…brewed the potion?"

Ed and Hermione stood and waited as Mustang started to test cauldrons throughout the class, Ed pulling his left glove back on in the meantime as he glanced around at the rest of the students, noting that the Slytherin group seemed to be more or less happy after Mustang left their tables, which meant their Draught's had passed whatever standard the older man had set for this task.

When the Colonel reached Harry and Padma's table, he tested their potion by dropping a leaf into it and his eyebrows went up at whatever result he saw before he smiled at the pair,

"That is excellent, if there were such a thing, I'd call it perfect." he commended them, and while Harry and Padma smiled, Padma's was much less enthusiastic, like she'd missed something.

Ed's gaze followed Mustang as he moved on to the next table, which was where Ron and Lavender were sharing a desk with two Hufflepuff girls. The Colonel tested both brews one by one and deemed them passable before he came over to Ed and Hermione's table, Hermione suddenly looking nervous, but hopeful.

Mustang didn't even look at them, he just dropped the leaf into the cauldron and while Ed stood bored waiting for the verdict, Hermione looked anxious, leaning in to see what was happening in the cauldron.

When the Colonel smiled at her she looked like she was being held in terrible suspense,

"Another excellent potion." Mustang told her more than Ed, because the blonde didn't care and they both knew it.

Hermione looked thrilled and relieved then, but Ed watched her deflate when she glanced over at Ron and Harry to share her happiness, only to find that both of them were giving her disapproving looks. Edward thought it was stupid that they had so much influence on her feelings, but he wouldn't get involved in that drama, because it wasn't his business. He leaned on the desk then and watched as Mustang moved on to another desk, announcing a final pass before he dismissed the class, only two pairs having not passed to move on to _Amortentia_.

Edward picked his books up, absently adjusting the length of his robe as the other students were filing out, he and Hermione being some of the last to leave since they were in the back and had to follow the crowd.

"Um, would one of our free apparition periods be alright?" Hermione's question drew his attention from watching Blaise, who gestured that he'd be waiting outside the classroom for him, and Ed turned to look at her where she was walking just behind him,

"For wha-…" he cut himself off when he remembered their previous conversation, and then just as noncommittally as before, he said, "…oh, yeah, sure, you just, uh, let me know when."

"Great, thanks, Ed." she smiled at him.

Ed figured he should have felt at least a little guilty about the fact that he'd be dodging showing her alchemy in future, but he didn't, because it was a bad idea and he couldn't risk it. All the same, he flashed her a toothy grin just as they reached the door,

"No problem."

And then they went their separate ways, Ed walking over to Blaise and Nott. And just a moment after he'd fallen into step with them, Pansy was quickly at his side, latching herself onto his arm and complaining in his ear about mudbloods and what the hell did he did he think he was doing.

Edward just sighed while Blaise snorted and Nott shook his head with an amused smirk, the four of them falling in with the other Slytherins as they all walked to the next period.

* * *

That smile would make Hermione melt if she spent enough time looking at it, she swore it. Despite the fact that Ed's white teeth seemed oddly sharp around the canines -which gave him something of a predatory look- she found it was an otherwise very handsome smile…and being so good looking, well…the overall effect was impactful.

But while she'd been feeling fairly good after such a successful class, once potions was over and she was suddenly thrust back into reality again, Hermione's smile quickly faded. Standing there in the hallway, where there was no kind professor Mustang who had given her an alibi for teaming up with a Slytherin, where his diplomacy did not extend to, she was faced with watching Ed walk over to his Slytherin group without looking back at her, because yes, he was still a Slytherin and she was still a Gryffindor.

And the sinking feeling in her stomach was made even worse when Hermione saw Pansy Parkinson latch onto Edward's arm and lean in close to say something to him, an action Hermione would never find herself bold enough to do. And then worse still, Ed didn't even shrug her off, he just shook his head at whatever she was saying, while Blaise Zambini and Theodore Nott smirked slimily, and Hermione knew that Pansy was most likely talking about her. It was a rather harsh reminder for her of the fact that Ed was friends, or was at least friendly, with every single one of the awful Slytherin that she, Harry and Ron generally couldn't stand.

Hermione sighed quietly, looking away from the Slytherins as she pressed her books to her chest and searched the departing crowd of students for Harry and Ron, only to find that they were walking away from the class without her. She frowned, scoffing quietly to herself at their ridiculousness as she walked quickly to catch up with them, amazed by how immature they were being when not even the Slytherins were petty enough to ignore Edward the way they were ignoring her.

When she caught up to them, she shoved them both rudely aside to step into the middle and they both gave her angry looks, which she readily returned,

"Is that honestly how you're going to behave, just because I'm associating with someone from another house?" she chastised irritably, looking from side to side as they slowed their walking pace.

Ron looked from her to the Slytherin group up ahead and Hermione did as well, seeing that Pansy was still attached to Ed but she was saying something to Draco who looked moody, as usual, and was shaking his head.

"It's not just another house, Hermione." Harry said crossly, gaining their attention, and Ron nodded in agreement but made a point to not speak to her, and she just frowned, shaking her head at his childishness while Harry went on, "It's _Slytherin_ house, full of people who hate us and always call you a _mudblood_." he raised his eyebrows above the frames of his glasses as if to ask if she understood what he was pointing out.

"Or have you forgotten?" Ron added angrily but then shook his head, "I'm not talking to you." he said then, reminding himself before he looked away again.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something to Ron, but then stopped herself, because really, it just didn't seem like it'd be worth the effort, so she turned to Harry instead,

"He has never called me that…name," she said with a huff, "he's also never been anything but civil, and even nice-…"

"Do you think he defends you when his friends are calling you that name, Hermione?" Harry cut her off, "Look at him…" Harry gestured up ahead to where the Slytherin group was laughing about something…and Ed was too.

She felt a pang of hurt then, wondering if Harry was right, whether if they were making fun of her, would Ed just shake his head, laugh and listen to it. But she knew that even if they were getting along, he had no real reason to be defending her honor. She was hardly his friend, and certainly wasn't his girlfriend…and yet, she'd gotten the feeling that he might like her that way, he'd certainly been acting like it.

When he'd stood beside her with his hand over hers she'd felt her heart beat a mile a minute…he'd smelled really good too, a natural musk under the standard school soaps, mixed in with a hint of dust and wood…and something else that she couldn't place, something metallic.

"And wot' was all that during the class," Ron piped up again, apparently unable to keep himself quiet, "where he was whispering stuff to you all secretive like. Looked rightly like he was going to try and snog you, right there, in the middle of everything." he said with open distaste, his voice pitching, and he barely looked at her as he whispered his harsh words.

Hermione blushed and huffed indignantly as she frowned,

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron, it was _nothing_ like that." she defended quietly, despite having thought very briefly during class about what it would be like to kiss Edward. She was embarrassed to admit even just to herself that she wouldn't mind finding out, and she blushed even darker as a result.

"Hermione, you do realize he might be a Death Eater." Harry leaned in suddenly, making her lean back and bump into Ron, who looked upset all over again.

"We have **no** proof of that, Harry." she said back in a whisper, feeling like she might just cry with how they were both looking at her so angrily, ganging up on her.

"He's a bloody slimy Slytherin git, Hermione, even if he isn't a Death Eater." Ron finally looked at her, "You really think he's interested in you for your smarts and personality?" he asked nastily, right to her face and not as quietly as he could have, and Hermione stopped walking.

A few people nearer to them had heard that and looked over, one of them being Lavender Brown. And while Hermione felt embarrassed, she was more hurt, shocked and angry that Ron would say something so insulting and rude to her. Even Harry looked stunned, but he just shook his head and grabbed Ron roughly by the arm,

"Come on, idiot." he shoved Ron ahead of himself, clearly disapproving, but Harry didn't look back at her as they walked off.

Lavender walked quicker then too, obviously to keep up with Ron, and she glanced back at Hermione, who stood very still and tried very hard not to cry then and there. Neville also glanced back, looking apologetic for no reason that concerned him as he followed after everyone else.

One of her fellow Gryffindor's touched a hand to her shoulder, stopping at her side,

"Boys say silly things when they're jealous, Hermione." was all she said.

Hermione surprised herself when the tears threatening to fall dried up, abruptly replaced by anger,

"Jealous?" she scoffed, glaring after Ron, "If jealousy would make a boy _insult_ any girl he happens to fancy, then he is most certainly **not** a boy who deserves that girl." she stated surely and then turned away with a flourish to walk in the opposite direction.

She was going to cry…but she was going to do it somewhere private, like in her empty dorm room.

* * *

The day's classes went by quicker now that Ed had had his initial feel of them the day before.

Herbology was next and was very uneventful, but he did notice that Hermione wasn't present, and that Ron looked guilty while Harry looked upset and distracted, but again, they weren't any of his business, so he ignored them.

Just as he'd ignored Pansy all the way to class while she kept saying how he should get a new potions partner, should tell Mustang he wasn't happy with Granger. She'd even went so far as to ask Malfoy to talk some sense into him, but even the other blonde teen just shook his head and said that he didn't care. Edward did note that Malfoy pulled his face about the whole thing, but for the most part he seemed to be disinterested in it, in everything actually, even throughout Herbology he'd been sitting and staring at his desk looking completely spaced out.

In fourth period, which was Ancient Runes, Ed noted that not only was Hermione still not there, but Malfoy was missing too. He wondered if there was some kind of class truancy movement going on, and the idea amused him for all of a minute before he started to fall asleep, nearly falling off his chair at one point, making the other few students present laugh and the disapproving teacher give him extra homework.

* * *

After lunch, everything was back to normal again; everyone was present for Transfiguration and for DADA.

Edward noted all those little details just in case anything became a pattern, including the fact that Snape refused to look at him throughout the lesson and how Hermione's hand didn't shoot up immediately to answer questions.

When Ed's free period came around, he again spent it in the library, that time managing to get more reading done because he had no interruptions. Disappointingly though, he didn't find anything useful, and so he spent the remainder of his classes for the day feeling irritable. He didn't bother to focus on the lessons either, letting his mind instead drift to thoughts about his automail leg, considering again transmuting himself a new flesh limb, especially since he noticed that the weather that day was the coldest since they'd arrived in the magic world, and he knew that soon his port would start giving him trouble with aches and stiffness.

Thinking of his leg and the fact that it was within his means to change it, inevitably made him think about the power he now had, which sent his thoughts spiraling in several directions, some good and most…not. And that time, worried about his own state of mind, Ed made the effort to focus on something that wasn't so mentally overwhelming, something that didn't send his mind to dark places…like thinking of how he now effortlessly had unlimited power, the kind of power that Father had had to kill millions to gain.

The thought was horrible…and weighted in all of its implications about where Ed's head was at, often feeling too quick to anger, being too easily distracted, shifting focus, stressed and tired and tightly wound.

And not knowing _why_ he suddenly felt so unstable –also not wanting to consider that maybe he always had been beneath the surface and just hadn't known it because he'd always been so focused on other things- Ed made a point to sit in the back of his final class and clear his mind, tuning everything else out and purposefully turning his mind to more pleasant thoughts in an effort to alleviate the irritation and tension he was feeling. You know, happy thoughts and all that. Naturally, his first thought was of Alphonse, Ed picturing his brother getting increasingly healthy and stronger, wondering what he might be like in a few months when he was able to walk, not in need of a wheelchair or crutches, and he wouldn't be so pale and gaunt either, instead he'd stand tall and steady on his own two feet, happy and free of his armored prison.

It also made Ed smile to think of how happy Winry and Pinako would be when they returned home with Al back in his original body, he'd already called and told them the good news after the Promised Day, but Winry and Granny hadn't seen Al yet and Ed hadn't been able to give a date for when they'd be returning to Resembool when he'd called, since Al had still been in his early days of recovery…

…but he wasn't able to linger on thoughts of Al, Winry, Granny and home though, because too quickly he started worrying about how they'd react –or had reacted- when they found out he was missing…if they were even still alive…

Damn it, it was hard to stay positive.

In an attempt to stay away from negative thoughts, Ed tried to focus just on Winry, on how he would like to have seen her smile when she saw Al for the first time in years…but thinking of her smile made him unconsciously think of Hermione's smile, and he found himself absently making comparisons between the two girls without realizing it.

He sighed heavily and immediately stopped it, not wanting the magic world to taint his thoughts of home like that. And for the rest of Astronomy class he tuned back in, keeping his mind busy learning about stars and planets millions of miles away. And it worked to keep his mind off of things for a while, but when Astronomy was finishing up, and he was filing out with the rest of the sixth years, a small coil of guilt unfurled in his stomach when he glanced at Hermione hurrying out ahead of everyone and his actions from earlier that day caught up with him.

He'd been flirting with Hermione in potions, not really seriously, but still…and he'd been doing so intentionally because he knew she liked him. But while he wasn't taking it seriously, if he was honest with himself, he could see himself liking her right back. And so then, what about Winry? Where did that leave her? Ed knew that Winry liked him, and he knew that he liked her, it had hardly been a secret in the recent months leading up to the Promised Day, but should he feel guilty about maybe liking someone else? Winry wasn't his girlfriend, and they hadn't established any kind of exclusivity, so he wasn't doing anything wrong…right?

He frowned slightly as he walked just behind the rest of the Slytherin group toward the Great Hall for dinner, thinking about the last time he'd seen Winry in Resembool and wondering if that interaction had somehow made her his girlfriend. That had been so many months ago, back when GreedLing, Heinkel, Darius and himself had been at the Rockbell house and Winry had showed up, finally returning home after the clusterfuck in Briggs.

Heh, she'd nearly stripped in front of him that night -which had been as awesome as it had been unintentional- and then when she'd realized he was sitting there, in **her** bedroom invading her private space, worry and fear of impending doom had sunken in very quickly instead. It had been some consolation though that she'd only given him a minimal wrench beat down, and things had seemed about the same as always between them afterward.

But a little later that night, after she'd tuned his automail and they'd argued much more seriously, Ed had walked out and right into an annoying speech from GreedLing about desires, raw emotions and how humans tried to act as if they weren't affected by it, and his words, on top of Winry's, had struck several nerves.

Ed had dismissed it in the moment, but it had been the catalyst for what had happened later, when about an hour after they'd all eaten a late supper, he'd asked Winry to take a walk with him outside to stretch out his automail. They'd walked along familiar paths in the fields, talking about Briggs and Winry telling him how Al had been when she'd last seen him, and then they'd talked about the upcoming Promised Day and how Greed was now Ling and that it was really weird.

And when there'd been nothing left to talk about and they were all the way down by the river and completely alone, Ed had followed an urge long buried in his subconscious, and he'd leaned in and kissed her. He'd never kissed anyone before that night, and hadn't known what to expect, but he'd figured she'd kiss him back or shove him off, maybe slap him like Havoc had said a few women had done to him in his lifetime.

But Winry had not only kissed him back; she'd kissed him eagerly.

Ed recalled vividly how she'd wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her warm body flush against his front and how they had properly made out…and shit, that had been just great. So great that Ed hadn't even been annoyed when Den had come looking for them, barking loudly and running toward them, letting them know they'd had to right their clothes and hair and head back to the house.

All in all, it had been an excellent few minutes, and Ed might even have considered it the greatest moment of his life if, you know…Al getting his body back wasn't already the legendary best day and achievement of his life. Couldn't top that.

Edward rolled his eyes at his own juvenile and distracting thoughts, rubbing at the lower half of his face with a gloved hand and feeling heat lingering in his ears from his memory of kissing Winry. He still couldn't decide whether that interaction had somehow made Winry his girlfriend, but he knew it didn't work like that, or at least he didn't think so. He was relatively sure he actually had to date her a few times or at least ask her to be his girlfriend before she would actually _be_ his girlfriend.

And if that was the case, then was he in the clear to flirt with Hermione?

' _I bet Mustang knows how this shit wor-…'_

"Elric!" Ed heard his name snapped in a familiar cool and droll voice, and his wandering, asinine thoughts were abruptly dismissed, his guard rising instinctively. He stopped walking, as did the few Slytherins walking ahead of him, and he turned around to see, as expected, Snape standing and looking at him from a relative distance away, the professor standing at the corner of the gloomy night-washed and dimly lit hall, just next to a staircase that led down to the dungeons. Ed narrowed his eyes at the professor and Snape did likewise, "A word in my…office, right now." the man said slowly and then he turned and descended the stairs, disappearing from sight.

Ed glared at the spot where the older man had been and he clenched his jaw in irritation, not only did he hate being ordered around by a fucking school teacher…but he was also lamenting the fact that he was probably going to miss dinner. Shit.

* * *

 _Next Chapter - Ed hits first and asks questions later...  
_


	11. Ūndecim

**A/N: For the full summary and detailed tags, please visit the AO3 upload.**

 **-I'd like to remind readers that I am writing from the movie and book, so if a few details contradict one or the other, please understand.  
**

 **\- Please note, if you leave me a question in an unsigned review I cannot answer you.**

 **\- Please bare with me, I have less free time than I had before so updates will be slower, but the story will go on!  
**

 **-Thanks to Manalfedz who beta'd this chapter.**

 **-And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed! I hope you'll continue to enjoy.**

* * *

 **Another version of me, another version of you**

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes and sighed before he turned around to find the other Slytherins slowly starting to walk away after giving him looks that said 'your problem, not ours', all except for Blaise who mouthed 'sorry mate', before he too turned and caught up with the others. All Ed wondered as he watched them walk away, was _why_ he had any problem at all, especially since he'd been holding up his end of the deal with Snape just fucking fine, so what did the bastard want?

All the same, there was nothing for it, so he made his way over to the stairs and descended, knowing where to go since the man's office had been pointed out to him by Blaise and Nott on the way out of Potions earlier that afternoon. Ed walked the quiet, chilly and eerie corridors without a hitch in his step, because after being in Gluttony's endless black void of a stomach, there was nothing he could experience that would ever be creepier…or grosser mind you.

When he reached the office after a quick five minute walk, Ed found the door had been left slightly ajar, so he entered without hesitation and absently pushed the door shut after himself, mostly out of long sustained habit after so many years of having Mustang grouch at him for not closing doors behind himself, always saying something about '… _taking the boy out of the farm_ ' and blah fucking blah.

And whatever, fuck Mustang…but Ed was not a farmer, so yeah, he closed doors pretty determinedly nowadays.

Presently, walking into the large gloomy and dimly lit office, Ed couldn't help looking over the shelved walls of jars filled with many, many things that Ed didn't even want to guess at the likes of. Looking up at the ceiling, he saw that there were several ornate arches, some of them having an old language embedded into the stone above the arches. There were other shelves as well, filled with thick, thin, old and dusty books, and there was a sofa and a fireplace too. Overall, the office was actually in a shitty location, but it somehow had a weirdly cozy vibe to it.

Or maybe Ed had just slept in too many shitty side streets and basement and shack-like motel rooms and so was able to appreciate anything with warmth and proper furniture after all that.

"So, what did you want?" Ed asked when Snape didn't say anything, and he turned around to look at the professor, having known where Snape was standing behind the door since he'd first walked in. Ed hadn't bothered to look back at him when he'd first entered, since after being trained by Izumi, he was always highly attuned to his surroundings and so he'd known Snape was there. Because seriously, you don't get trained by a woman who hunted wolves and survived bear attacks in the Drachman tundra without learning how to catch the sound of even the most subtle sound of breathing in a quiet room.

The man, standing ramrod straight and scowling, looked shrouded in shadows, which, on top of his already heavy black robes and _ever so serious_ demeanor, was really overkill. And Ed would have snorted in amusement, but then when he looked closely at the older man, he recognized something in Snape's eyes and it gave him mild pause…the man looked rigid and anxious,

"Snape, wha-!" Ed began to say, but had to cut himself off suddenly when the dark haired man struck his wand out in the teen's direction and sent a blue jet of magic his way.

Immediately, Ed recognized that the attack had been thrown at him with more intent than just a test of reflexes, and it was confirmed more solidly when Snape tried again with the same blue coloured spell. Ed dodged again, recognizing that it was an _Immobulus_ spell, a freezing charm, the realization of which immediately set off warning bells in his head because Snape was trying to immobilize him, which could only mean something bad.

Snape lobbed a third try, but it was not lucky, in fact, it was the last damn straw since he'd changed attacks and sent a powerful red beam at Ed, trying to stun him with enough power that it would definitely knock Ed out cold. That was **it**! Ed decided all gloves were off then, if Snape wanted to attack him, the bastard would learn that he was fucking with the _wrong_ guy.

Ed moved quickly, so quickly that Snape didn't have time to raise his wand again before Ed had drawn energy up to his hands, the intentionally large amount of it sparking and crackling in red and purple flares and arches around his arms, pitching an eerie flickering glow over him and flicking the tips of his bangs back and up harshly. And the intimidating sight alone was enough to make Snape back step into the wall behind the door, the stupid bastard falling for it perfectly.

Ed didn't use the energy he'd drawn up, hadn't even intended to, but instead he rushed at Snape quickly across the short distance, and the older man flailed his wand up in a panic, but before he could even get a shot off, Ed kicked the wand out of his hand hard enough that he heard bone crack in Snape's fingers, or perhaps his hand.

Then as a follow up, Ed did a low kick, swinging his leg out and swiping Snape's feet out from underneath him, and in the second that the older man had landed heavily on the unforgiving stone floor, propped half up against the door behind him, Ed was on him, crouching down and pressing a heavy automail knee into Snape's chest. He placed his right forearm tightly against the side of man's throat next, cutting off his air supply easily and making Snape's face gain some color for once before it started to drain again quickly when he realized he couldn't breathe.

Baring his teeth and with a clipped, warning tone, all pretense of being a student falling away, Ed asked harshly,

"You wanna' tell me why the fuck you're tryna' knock me out, Snape?" and he glared every threat under the sun straight into Snape's dark eyes, their close proximity leaving no room to look away as he added more pressure to the pale man's throat, making Snape slide further down the wall with an undignified choking sound.

He grabbed at Ed's upper arm with spindly fingers in a useless attempt to get some air, his mouth moving like a gasping fish as he tried to breathe, but Edward found that –horribly…worryingly- he didn't care.

The man had attacked him, and holding Snape's life in his hands right then felt justified, it felt…it felt…

...whatever the cruel feeling was, it lasted for only fleeting seconds before Edward reeled his anger in, the intensity ebbing mostly because Snape was making painful, hitching choking noises as his lips began to turn blue.

Ed knew if he held out any longer, the man would fall unconscious and then eventually, he'd die, and Ed was not a murderer…he wasn't…

Blinking out of his furious stupor, Ed took a short breath and then eased up on the pressure enough that Snape could take in some air, and the man didn't have the awareness to try and immediately return to his façade after his oxygen depravity, wheezing in air with a desperate and panicked look on his face. Edward took that as confirmation that he'd made his point and he eased off completely, only leaving his solidly weighted and hard knee pressed against the ultimately frail chest of the older wizard.

They were barely dangerous with a wand, and without it they were nearly impotent. Sad really.

Snape was coughing sorely between wheezes, after a moment bringing his shaking hands up and placing them on Ed's knee, making an attempt to push it away as he clenched his teeth and tried to regain control of his facial expression. But it was futile, Ed wasn't moving and Snape needed to know that,

"I could crush your sternum, Snape. Don't test me." he said very seriously…darkly, his voice low and tight.

The man's hands remained on Ed's knee, apparently he hadn't even noticed how unyielding and solid it was, but he stopped attempting to push it away and instead just focused on Ed as his mask slowly returned,

"Very well." he said in a slightly raspy tone, his throat sore from being choked, but otherwise he seemed calm.

Ed narrowed his eyes,

"Why the fuck were you trying to stun me, asshole?" Ed snapped quietly, all niceties forgone, "And don't bullshit me, your little stunt already put me in a bad mood." he warned.

Snape swallowed slowly and with a slight grimace before he spoke again,

"If I tell you, you might see fit to kill me…after all." he said slowly, hands lightly clutching Ed's knee, which was no doubt making his chest ache. Ed snorted,

"Kill you? I'm not gonna' kill you, dumbshit, I'm not in the habit of killing people." and that was true, Ed only killed if he absolutely had to, and so far the only being he'd ever outright killed had been Father. That being said, "I am really good at hospitalizing and sometimes leaving long term damage though..." he trailed off, leaning forward a bit more so his knee put painful pressure on Snape's chest cavity,

"Agh, stop…fine…" the professor said as his hands scrambled from Ed's knee to his thigh and finally to weakly grab his nearest forearm.

It was then, when he clutched at Ed's arm with cold fingers, that Snape's sleeve fell back and Ed dropped his gaze to Snape's left inner forearm…to where a large, intricate, slightly greyish snake and skull tattoo was adorned.

Ed glanced from the tattoo to Snape and noticed how the man looked from the tattoo to Ed with renewed anxiousness. Edward frowned slightly,

"You know, I remember reading in the newspaper that the big bad, dark wizard guy, whatshisface, uses a skull and snake as his calling card…" the teen moved his hand in a fast circular twist, reversing Snape's light hold on his forearm and grabbing the older man's forearm instead, tightly, so that his thumb was pressing into the mark sorely, "…is that what this is? Some kind of pathetic tattoo of dedication to symbolize your fealty to him?" Ed asked with a sneer.

He felt a particular thrum of anger, the new kind, the dangerous anger he'd been feeling recently along with intense irritation, rising within him. It was as if his temper had become tenfold more volatile since coming to the magic world, and he could only assume it was because he was stressed out, that had to be it, because what other explanation was there?

Snape frowned at him, sly eyes narrowing further,

"And if it is…?" he asked carefully.

Edward's anger was still present, but making a point of controlling it, he exhaled slowly as he looked over the older man, who was completely defenseless and really just someone's puppet in the end. It wasn't so different from what he'd faced before, just that instead of creating homunculi to do his dirty work as Father had, whatshisface had inducted weak minded people to be his followers, willing to die for him.

It was sad how little people could value their lives,

"Then I'm disappointed." Ed settled on, and he said it with gravitas and solemnity beyond his years, making Snape frown deeper, "I thought you were a good guy underneath all your melodrama, Snape, but if you're really just a puppet to that creep with no name, then that's just really pathetic." Ed said finally and then removed his knee from Snape's chest as he stood up.

Once he was standing, Ed looked over at Snape's wand lying on the floor and he opened his palm, and the older man's eyes widened and then narrowed when his wand was summoned and flew into Ed's waiting hand. The teen then held it up for Snape to look at from where the man was trying to gather himself up from the floor with some dignity,

"If you ever try to use this on me again, I'll break it right along with one of your limbs, old man." he said with unnerving sincerity and then gave Snape a once over with obvious distaste, "You just landed yourself a place at the top of my shit list." then he tossed the wand at Snape, who just managed to catch it, looking blatantly puzzled.

"Now move, I'm hungry and I don't wanna' miss dinner." he waved for the man to get away from the door.

Snape, having managed to stand up, looked him over as varying expressions passed over his face, not the least of which was bafflement,

"You discover that I am a…Death Eater…and you're prepared to just…walk out?" he asked, seemingly in disbelief.  
Edward gave him a serious look, cocking an eyebrow,

"Yeah…" he said simply, because he and Mustang hadn't decided whether or not they actually wanted to get involved in the upcoming war just yet. They first wanted to see how much progress they could make by just staying out of it, "…I'm not getting involved in the shit going on in this place." he said honestly and waved his hand again for Snape to move.

But then the man said something that baffled Ed,

"But if you're not aligned with the Dark Lord, then you would be an invaluable power to Dumbledore in protecting the school." he stood up straighter against the door, "I don't know how powerful you are, Elric, but I have never seen magic like yours, you might be able to help us _win_ this war." Snape rasped, his eyes wide as he clutching his wand tightly.

Edward frowned, Snape's words playing back in his mind and failing to make sense,

"Wait, what? You're a Death Eater, right? So why the fuck are you talking about me helping Dumbledore? Shouldn't it be you asking me to help whathisface?" he looked Snape over from head to toe, sensing that something was very off about the situation.

Snape regarded him seriously for a moment, as if he were considering what to say next, and then he spoke quietly,

"Perhaps you and I should have a…talk…El-ric, because just as you do not know the…many layers in place where trying to conquer the Dark Lord is concerned, I believe there is more to you…than meets the eye, as well." he said slowly.

Edward narrowed his eyes and scraped the edges of his teeth together lightly, not having ever been fond of convoluted plots, even if they were on the good side. And that's what it was starting to seem like right then,

"Alright, we can talk…" he conceded, because information was always helpful, even if he was gonna stay out of it, "…but it's not likely I'm gonna believe anything you say after what just happened." he admitted frankly.

Snape's gaze remained steadily locked onto his for a moment, and then it dropped briefly. When he looked at Ed again, it was if he'd just thought of something that he didn't like, his mouth turning down at the sides,

"I will tell you my truths, if you would be willing to tell me yours."

"No." Ed said plainly, because that was just never gonna happen, "You're the one who wants to talk to me, not the other way around." he pointed out. "And why anyway? Wouldn't it just be easier for both of us to act like this never happened?" he suggested seriously, wanting to be able to do just that.

Snape shook his head lightly and grimaced as he touched his neck where bruising was starting to show,

"It is not quite so simple, you are…involved now whether you like it or not, because the Dark Lord has learned of you and is…interested in meeting you, in…recruiting…you." he explained.

Edward tilted his head slightly and clenched his fists absently,

"Okay," he said thoughtfully, "so what side of this are _you_ on?" he asked quietly, because again, Snape was talking about the Dark Lord's bidding, when just before it'd been Dumbledore he was talking about helping.

The older man blinked slowly and exhaled audibly,

"Both, consequentially." he paused as if he expected a response, but Ed just stared at him, and so Snape lowered his voice when he went on to ask, "What side are you on?"

"Neither." Ed said immediately and surely, not hesitating, "But in the past I've never played for the bad guys, if that's what you're asking." he added and then cocked a questioning eyebrow as he stared at Snape intensely and inscrutably, until the older man became uncomfortable enough to respond without prompting, but with a hesitant expression on his face,

"My…original allegiance was as a Death Eater, long before I swore my…loyalty to Dumbledore. But now that the Dark Lord has returned I am in an…unfortunate and duplicitous situation. However, my actual loyalty remains with Dumbledore." he said solemnly, and Ed found that he believed the older man.

Edward let the information sink in, and then he sighed, feeling irritable all over again,

"So why were you trying to stun me?"

Snape inclined his head, almost looking contrite about it,

"It was the only way I could think of to bring you to the Dark Lord," he admitted, and Ed opened his mouth to voice his opinion on that bullshit, but Snape held his hand up, "and you must understand…that I was unaware of whether or not you, like most Slytherin, were supportive of…the Dark Lord's ideals and intentions." he tried to excuse himself.

Ed snorted,

"You could have just _asked_ me."

"But I could **not** have just believed you." Snape retorted curtly and Ed couldn't really argue that, "Death Eaters and potential Death Eaters are _everywhere_ , Elric, there is no obvious way to tell them apart from good wizards and witches and the Dark Lord has **many** followers, be it that they're active or idle." he explained.

"No kidding." Ed said sarcastically and pointed in the general direction of Snape's arm.

Not even glancing at his own arm, Snape sighed with resignation,

"Yes," and then the older man placed his right hand over his inner left forearm where the tattoo was beneath his sleeve, "a choice I made when I was more or less your age, and one I will forever …regret." he finished, his teeth clenched.

There was a moment of silence as Ed glanced around, and then he looked at Snape again,

"So let me guess," he sighed in exasperation, "in my experience with the way evil guys usually operate…" he nearly rolled his eyes when Snape frowned at his words, "…I'm not supposed to get a choice in whether I join, right? This guy's gonna' want to come after me even if I tell him to shove his offer up his ass." he raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips, robe sleeves flaring annoyingly. As he waited for Snape to confirm his theory, he recalled how he –along with others- had been unwilling sacrifices to Father's grand plot, but their willingness hadn't mattered a damn to the son of a bitch.

Snape blinked a few times quickly, in either confusion or shock, it could have been both actually,

"Yes, exactly…" he frowned and cleared his throat awkwardly, "…can you clarify what you mean by…in your experience?" he asked, sounding quite curious.

Ed gave him a bored look, having expected the curiosity,

"I'm not answering your questions, old man, because I can't trust _anything_ you say…" Edward trailed off as he considered the situation, also reconsidering his own words.

He didn't necessarily believe Snape, but he also didn't think the man was lying, especially since he'd seemed genuinely surprised that Ed was letting him go and had thought Ed was going to kill him. That proved Snape didn't –or hadn't- thought Ed could be trusted. But then it occurred to Ed that if he went with Snape to whatshisface, he could just kill the guy,

"Hey, this dark lord guy, he's the one who wants to kill all the non-magic people right, he's the whole reason for this upcoming war, right?" he asked.

Snape was rubbing the front of his neck beneath his high collar as he nodded,

"Yes, why?"

"So what if I went with you to meet him, and just killed him?" Ed said it simply, because it was that simple.

Snape, for his part, actually looked offended,

" _Arrogant_ boy, you think **you** could kill the Dark Lord, you alone? Hah!" he didn't have even a hint of smile on his face when he made the sarcastic laughing sound.

He was being utterly serious, and so Ed matched him with equal solemnity and said,

"Yeah, I could." because Snape had no idea who he was, what he was capable of, where he'd come from and what he'd survived.

Snape did a double take at him then, having been looking down as he put his wand away in his robe, and now the man had an expression on his face that Ed couldn't read. But if there were hints of disbelief in the straight line of his mouth, Ed couldn't see them and when Snape narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, Ed just raised an eyebrow slightly,

"You can say for… **absolutely certain** , that you are powerful enough to kill _him_?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Edward leaned closer as well and flashed his trade mark shark toothy grin at the older man,

"Yes."

It occurred to Ed then, that he was talking quite casually about killing someone, which was very unlike him…but then, after having faced Father and now knowing what it felt like to actually **want** to **kill** someone –or something would be more accurate since Father hadn't been human-, who was so detestably vile, the desire came quite naturally and was easier to accept. And since whatshisface was just another murdering, twisted son of a bitch, who had far more murder on his agenda, the type of nutcase who could _not_ be reasoned with, Ed was practically looking forward to it.

It was new, the depth of the desire, but Ed didn't let himself dwell on it…there was no time for that right then.

Snape had a moment where he looked both doubtful and hopeful, and then frustrated as he shook his head,

"As I said, it is not quite so simple, there are a great…many reasons that the Dark Lord is still alive in the first place, one of those reasons being that he has found ways to cheat death." he said with irritable resignation.

Ed snorted softly,

"I've seen more than one so called 'immortal' bite the dust." he said in a flippant mumble, feeling amused as he settled his calm gaze on Snape, who narrowed his eyes at him with apparent suspiciousness,

"Just who are you, really?" he asked, voice low and tense.

Edward smirked then, shrugging off the question and asking one back,

"Would you get to the point already, why isn't it simple?"

The dark haired man stood up straight and looked down his hook nose at Ed in some sort of attempt to be authoritative,

"If I am going to divulge information to you that would be… _detrimental_ to whether I live or die," he raised his pale spindly right hand, open in invitation of a handshake, "then perhaps we should agree that this conversation…and anything said between us hence forth, will never be…repeated…to _anyone_."

Edward looked at the offered hand, absently noting Snape's slightly long fingernails and knobby knuckles, and with some tension coiling in his stomach, he guessed what the man was suggesting,

"You don't just wanna' shake on it, do you?" he made a face and met the older man's dark eyes directly.

"Obviously…not…" Snape didn't blink.

Ed knew he shouldn't even ask, but he did,

"What are the terms?" he frowned lightly.

Snape did blink now, face pinching in consternation,

"Usually death is the most…effective…deal clincher."

"You're pretty casual about risking your life on a deal." Ed narrowed his eyes, watching intently as Snape remained rigidly stood with his hand extended between them,

"It would not be the first time I've offered my life as collateral for the…greater…good," he said quietly, "and besides, if your intentions are to keep your word, then you shouldn't feel that making an _Unbreakable Vow_ is a risk at all." he added, sounding a bit sarcastic and even a bit challenging, the latter tone making Ed smirk…

…but it was a fake smirk, because he was actually thinking about Mustang.

If he made an unbreakable vow, swearing him to keep secret whatever Snape was going to tell him, then he could not tell Mustang anything…or he'd die. Those were some pretty steep terms based on the very little he knew right then…but Edward Elric was nothing if not a risk taker –i.e: extremely reckless-, so he would make the deal, because apparently whatshisface had an eye on him and when it all came down to it, that made it personal.

He was already in it now, might as well let it play itself out.

"Fine…" Ed said stoically, "…nothing leaves this room."

The older man inclined his head,

"Nothing we tell each other in confidence, even beyond this room." he clarified firmly.

"Yeah, yeah…" Ed reached out and grasped Snape's wrist and the man did the same with his, "…make the terms as specific as you like, this is just between you and I, Snape."

Slowly, Snape nodded, looking satisfied with that agreement before he drew his wand out and Edward waited and watched as an Unbreakable Vow was created…

…and shit, if Alphonse were there, Ed knew he'd get his ass kicked for making such an irrational decision.

For some reason though, the thought only made him smile.

* * *

The _Unbreakable Vow_ was thorough, Snape made sure to cover every angle, stipulating that neither of them would be able to –by any means- pass on the information exchanged between them and Ed had made him add that whatever they decided to tell each other had to be the truth as well. That had given Snape pause, but he had acquiesced since it wasn't forcing them to tell each other everything, just forcing them to be honest about what they did say.

It was a dangerous agreement.

But after they'd had a moment to let sink in what they'd just agreed to, Snape started talking, and Ed spent the next hour listening to the tale of epic –if somewhat cliché-ish here and there- wizard and witch drama.

It seemed the vow, which guaranteed death if it was broken, had made the man feel secure enough to tell Edward about details going back as far as his youth. Snape told the teen first about why he was loyal to Dumbledore, exactly what had made him leave the path of a Death Eater.

It was a sad, one sided love story, cliché and difficult for Ed to empathize with, but it had been pivotal to the overall plot it seemed, as the man went on to explain that four eyes –Harry Potter- was some sort of 'chosen one', born after and in line with a prophecy, which literally tied his life to the Dark Lord's, who Ed also learned, had a really stupid sounding fake name, Voldemort.

Edward honestly didn't get what was so wrong with the name Tom Riddle, as far as villain names went it wasn't so bad, heck, it wasn't any better than Solf. J. Kimblee or worse than Shou Tucker. It made more sense though, when Snape explained why Voldemort despised his last name, 'Riddle', and just like that, it was back again to the vendetta against anyone not of rich, pure magic blood. Snape also explained about Voldemort's latest successful resurrection and gave a vague description of his present physical appearance, which sounded pretty damn ugly.

Snape went on to tell him about the first wizarding war and about all the intentions for the second upcoming war and the people who had already died since Voldemort's return, and he also explained that the dark wizard wanted to kill Harry Potter as soon as possible so that the prophecy could be out of the way and would not interfere with his plans…well, that, and he hated the 'boy who lived' with some serious, hardcore passion.

And despite not really knowing Harry, Ed raised his eyebrows in agreement with Snape's concluding point,

"Dumbledore is certain that Potter will be the reason Voldemort falls…but that boy has neither the strength nor the skill to carry out such a task." the professor sounded almost distracted as he sat back in his desk chair, staring at the wall.

Ed watched him for a moment, parsing through all the information, and despite how much Snape had told him, the teen was aware of the obvious holes in the story. Whole missing chunks that left a lot unexplained, which meant that Snape was still keeping things to himself, one of the main missing explanations was _why_ Potter's life was tied to Voldemort's in the first place.

"There's more…right?" Ed said with a note of question in his tone, "There's stuff you're not telling me."

Snape slowly turned to look at him,  
"Yes…but I have no reason to tell you anything more, you have not said if you will help." he drawled.

Edward looked away from the professor then and leaned back where he was sitting on the sofa near the fireplace, exhaling loudly. He was subconsciously aware that he was hungry even as he focused on the present serious discussion he was engaged in,

"If I can't just kill him, then how could I help?" he asked plainly.

"Would you be willing to?" Snape shifted in his seat, sitting forward and turning to look at Ed across the room.

"Yeah," Ed shrugged, "I mean, if he's gonna come after me anyway." saying what he honestly thought.

The professor seemed to consider Ed's nonchalant reasoning before he spoke again,

"If you truly are powerful enough to defeat him…then…it would help to have you as a fail…safe, in the…likely event that Potter does not triumph." Snape stated quietly, his voice just audible over the soft crackle of the fire.

"So you're saying," Ed cocked an eyebrow, "if in the end four-eyes can't kill whatshisface, then that's when I should do it?" he asked frankly.

"I think that might be best…however I am very doubtful that you can do as you say." Snape said dryly.

Resisting the urge to smile at Snape's cluelessness, Edward stood up and walked over to the desk,

"We swore that anything we chose to tell each other had to be the truth, right?" he asked when he came to stop across from where Snape sat at the desk, watching as the man nodded slowly, "Well I'm telling you that I'm more… _powerful_ ," that word felt wrong to say, as if it were a declaration of something unsavory, and yet it was also thrilling to mean it so absolutely, "than Voldemort." he leaned on the desk then, hands flat, and stared at Snape.

The professor appeared to be holding his breath, as if he were expecting Edward to start choking on a lie before keeling over, but when nothing happened –because duh-, Snape's face changed, and he actually looked astonished, as if it hadn't occurred to him that the teen truly held enough power to carry out a great reckoning on the big bad wizard terrorist.

"I asked you before," Snape said quietly, voice a tense near-whisper, "who are you?" and he leaned forward in his seat, placing his hands on the table and staring intently into Ed's eyes, deep black on rich gold.

"As per our agreement, I'm not lying to you, I'm just _choosing_ not to tell you." Ed said back, blandly.

"Edward…Von Hohenheim, is your true name?" Snape tried again.

"I'm not answering that." Ed decided, knowing it was better if he kept all personal information to himself.

"So you will tell me nothing of yourself?" Snape asked sourly and Ed sighed, standing up straight and pocketing his hands,

"All you need to know, Snape, is that I'm not some wet behind the ears kid." he said plainly and enjoyed the way Snape blinked in surprise, "Basically, I need this place intact, and so I'm willing to help you defend it." Edward said, being intentionally abstruse, while Snape eyed him suspiciously, "So I'm agreeing to be the failsafe, and if Potter can't cut it or if he bites it, I'll step in." he said it nonchalantly, "Deal?" he wasn't going to wait for an answer, "Right, so…if there's nothing else…"

"Actually, there is…" Snape piped up, getting to his feet and looking at him as if he were an idiot, "…so quickly you forget that the Dark Lord has requested I bring you to him. If you are going to stand…against him, he cannot know or even _suspect_ it, just as he does not know that I am…against him." he'd lowered his voice to a low tone again.

Edward sighed and leaned his hip against the desk, folding his arms across his chest and hanging his head so that his bangs covered his face as he thought about his options here. Snape was right, Voldemort couldn't know there was a backup plan to get rid of him, when bad guys knew there were backup plans, they tended to make more backup plans of their own.

As it were, Voldemort likely already had more than one plan to kill Harry Potter, because he surely hadn't gone through all the trouble of being resurrected just to put all of his eggs into one basket, so Ed knew he'd have to try and fit into the equation as neatly, and surreptitiously, as possible…

And since he was already on Voldemort's radar, he couldn't lie low and stay out of sight, it was too late for that, which meant his only other option was to meet the bastard and agree to join his cause, and from there onwards, he could stay in the background and avoid suspicion.

Yeah, that sounded like a good plan, right?

Ed looked at Snape then, thinking of how Mustang would surely put a boot up his ass if he knew what Ed was about to get into, it was the exact opposite of what they'd planned…and yet, it was kind of exciting. After having been quietly and subconsciously worried that all the excitement in his life had died with his loss if alchemy, he couldn't deny that he was anticipating the rush of adrenalin that came with the kind of danger he was used to.

There was something very unhealthy about that…but Ed was not inclined to overanalyze his dubious motivations.

"Then I guess," he raised an eyebrow at Snape, "I'll have to do what you're doing. I'll join Voldemort, because you said he wants to recruit me-…" saying that, for some reason, reminded him that he was in fact already a legitimate, sworn soldier, and that he was betraying his C.O, "…while waiting in the background to assassinate his ass."

Snape grimaced and sat back down,

"Your language is quite eloquent-…"

"You have no idea." Ed said flatly.  
"…and while I agree that idea is probably the best option, at the same time…it isn't." Snape drawled, "Being a Death Eater means baring witness to many heinous and cruel acts, as well as having to carry out _crimes_. To be convincing, your presence and involvement has to be both believable and flawless." Snape looked genuinely concerned now, "If he finds you guilty of treachery, he is likely to suspect me as well, since I am going to have to vouch for your dedication to him…and my standing with him presently is already quite precarious…as it is." he sighed quietly and clenched his fists on the desk top.

Edward felt frustrated then for the fact that ending the problem, -Voldemort-, would be so damn simple if it weren't for the fact that an innocent kid's life was tied to him. And now on top of that, it turned out that if he blew his undercover, other cover –wow this was getting complicated- then Snape's life would be at risk as well. And yet, he couldn't decline the offer to be a Death Eater without Voldemort attempting to curse or kill him, in which case he'd have to kill Voldemort…

…and fuck, right back at square one.

"You haven't said why _exactly_ just killing Voldemort is not an option, why will only Potter die? Why won't Voldemort die too?" Ed asked in a frustrated tone.

"Keep…your voice down." Snape said through clenched teeth as he glanced at the closed door far across the room and then looked back to Edward and sighed, "Simply put…it is because he will not absolutely die should you destroy his current body."

Ed's eyes narrowed, if killing his body **wouldn't** kill him, but his physical body **would** be _destroyed,_ it ruled out the possibility of him having an 'immortal' physical form, so then that meant that _something,_ _somewhere_ _else_ would be keeping him alive, and wasn't that just some seriously fucked up shit?

"If his body is not his weakness…then…" he leaned closer, jaw tight and eyes severe, "…that means his soul is attached to another body, or an object?" he asked quietly and he watched Snape's eyes widen almost comically before the man leaned closer and hissed,

"What do you know of such dark magic, boy?"

Dark magic? Okay, Ed could give him that, Human Transmutation was considered a dark and taboo practice back in Amestris, so it made sense that the idea held the same black connotations in the magic world.

"I know enough to know that binding his soul to an object is _not_ immortality." Ed said seriously, staring straight into Snape's face unflinchingly, "In fact, it's unstable and incredibly risky and pretty easy to put a stop to." he brought a gloved hand out of his pocket and poked a finger into the desk.

Snape actually looked impressed then, and less tense, making Ed wonder if it was because the man realized he wasn't talking to a clueless child.

"Be that as it may," Snape said slowly, "if that is in fact what the Dark Lord has done, the problem lies in _finding_ the objects to which he has bound the pieces of his soul." Snape responded quietly and he curled his long pale fingers together on the desk.

Ed's eyes widened for a second as he absorbed the blatant plural of _objects_ and _pieces_ in that sentence. So Voldemort had found a way to split up and then bind more than one piece of his soul to more than one object and then had probably hidden them in different scattered places. Hell, the bastard was clever…and incredibly _reckless_ , since that kind of soul separation would only make his connection to the objects even weaker.

"So, if you were to kill Voldemort in his current body," Snape continued after a moment of silence, "it would simply mean a repeat of what happened before. He would disappear and go into hiding again until he will eventually be powerful enough to rise once more. The cycle would be ongoing…to kill him as he is would be redundant." Snape sounded as frustrated as Ed had felt a moment ago, and he looked tired.

Ed figured he was stressed about constantly being in such a dangerous position as a double agent.

"So you'd need to find the objects right?"

"Yes." The professor nodded.

"But?" because there was _always_ a 'but' that fucked everything up.

"But no one knows what they all are or where they are, they can be any object." he seemed to shudder at an unpleasant memory, "One that I know of has been destroyed so far, it was found by Dumbledore, but I don't know how many there could be in total. Until I learned of that one, I hadn't even known of the Dark Lord's soul separation." the older man said distastefully.

Edward wasn't complaining about the influx of information, it seemed that the more Snape was impressed with him, the more he seemed to trust him, and information was _never_ a bad thing. He moved away from the desk then, running his gloved hands through his bangs as his stomach grumbled and tensed in quiet turns,

"Are you looking for any of them at least?" he asked on a sigh.

Snape inclined his head,

"I believe Dumbledore is looking into it, but I doubt he has any better an idea of how many there could be, since Voldemort had already resurrected himself once and Dumbledore's destroyed one object, but still, Voldemort remains alive." he lowered his gaze briefly, "There are not many spells that allow such a thing…" he admitted quietly and then looked at Ed again, "…however, I find myself agreeing with you…splitting one's soul into many parts would be _very_ unstable." he sighed deeply. And it was the first time Ed had seen such an obvious chink in the professor's façade, "But that is not my concern, and in joining the Death Eaters, it would not be yours either." he added with a note of dread in his tone.

"I would just be waiting for the opportune moment, right?" Ed asked quietly, staring right back at Snape, "For that moment when all of the soul parts are destroyed, so that I'm right there to kill Voldemort…if Potter doesn't come through…" Ed was nodding to himself, everything falling into place in his mind.

Snape raised an eyebrow at him,

"Again, **if** that is the case." he paused then for a moment before continuing, "But can you do it? Can you remain indifferent in the face of evil and its executors while standing by and waiting for that opportune moment?" Snape asked with a grave seriousness in his voice that grounded Edward immediately to the reality of what he would be facing.

He thought seriously then about what was being asked of him.

Snape was asking if he would be able to play the long game for the outcome of the greater good. To kill Voldemort prematurely would be to allow him the chance to resurrect himself in the future, maybe many times and many years into the future at which time he would go on a killing spree again and try to complete his vendetta against non-magic people and mudbloods. But to lay in wait instead would take real strength, waiting while everyone involved in the elaborate plot to conquer the dark wizard played out their according roles, until the time came when Voldemort was just one piece of his original soul, weak, and actually, finally able to be properly killed…and the end result would work out in the best possible way for people throughout that world.

The really shitty thing about all of it was that the _only_ reason Ed was even involved in the first place, was because Voldemort wanted him on the dark side…if it hadn't been for that, he would have been able to completely ignore it all, as originally planned.

' _Shit, Mustang…'_ he frowned, thinking of the secrets piling up, the secrets and lies, and he looked at Snape sharply,

"How the fuck did Voldemort even find out about me anyway?" Ed asked irritably, "Did you tell him?" he glared a threat of sincere violence at the older man.

Snape sat back slightly and shook his head once, quickly, before making a disgruntled face,

"No…I would never endanger a student if I could help it, it was a student who told-…  
"A Slytherin, a fucking Death Eater student?" Edward caught on quickly, and Snape inclined his head,

"…yes."

" **Who**?" he asked with a clenched jaw.

There was a pause of worried hesitation before Snape appeared to concede to answering honestly,

"Draco-…"

Ed bared his teeth in anger,

"That little shit, I'll-…"

"You will do nothing." Snape sat forward, expression very dire, "Draco's actions in speaking about you were born out of fear for the Dark Lord," he explained quietly but without his usual slow drawl, "the boy has, by association of his father, been marked by Voldemort as a primary pawn, and now Draco scrambles for approval and survival by passing on whatever information he can. So you see, he fears for his…life." Snape finished with a grimace.

Edward had really only intended to threaten, and maybe to following through on, knocking the kid's teeth out. But considering Draco's situation as Snape described it, and thinking of how distracted and skittish his behavior usually was, Ed almost felt sorry for him, especially since Ed knew all too well what it was like to have your life be in danger because of your father's mistakes.

He knew it was kind of unfair to lump Hohenheim in with Draco's evil bastard father, but, well…whatever.

Ed shrugged facially, staring into Snape's concerned face,

"Okay, relax, geez, I won't beat the shit out of him." he waved his hand, ignoring Snape's unamused expression as he turned around and sat himself up on the desk, his back facing Snape. They sat for a while in silence as Ed thought over his mostly non-existent options and he found, unsurprisingly, that he knew it would be more efficient and productive to play the long game and wait until Voldemort could truly be killed, even if it may mean standing by while bad things happened. Not like it'd be the first time…

Edward had heard certain grave words said by Mustang himself a few times; " _There are always casualties in war._ "

He sighed quietly and scrunched up his face, clenching and unclenching his fists between his parted thighs as he wondered,

' _Can I do this, do I have the patience, tolerance and perseverance to play the long game?'_

He thought of Mustang again; the man had been in service to the military for years, while it had been in the most horrible state, and Mustang had stuck to the decision to play the long game, to wait until the opportune moment to strike, to take over and take charge. And in that time he had killed thousands of people and signed off on countless more invasions, permitted unwarranted military actions against innocent people…all because he had been _waiting_ for his chance to take Bradley's place, all for the greater good.

And if it hadn't been for Bradley turning out to be a homunculus, after a few more years, the Colonel would have climbed the ranks and probably made it there, to the top, all on his own.

' _At least he made the choice to put himself through hell…'_ Ed inwardly griped, seeing as how the biggest difference presently was that he had no choice but to join Voldemort. The alternative was that if he didn't, he'd have to defend himself at some point, which would give away his, Mustang's _and_ Snape's cover, as well as screwing up the chance for the magic world to be rid of their biggest problem.

Making his decision, Ed unclenched his fists and placed his hands splayed out on his thighs,

"I'll do it." he said quietly, but firmly.

There was a pause of tense quiet before Snape asked,

" _Can_ you do it?"

"Can I pretend to be a bad guy?" Ed asked, a smirk creeping across his lips as he thought about all of the shit he'd gotten himself into over the years because of his infamous way of not doing the _right_ thing and breaking the law. He raised an eyebrow, "…heh, probably better than I should." he admitted and stood up off the desk, turning to look at Snape again.

The man stared at him for a moment before he nodded curtly.

Edward nodded as well and then asked his next question,

"So, what now?"

* * *

 _Next Chapter - Ed makes Hermione blush, Roy makes Ed blush, and there's just a little calm before the storm..._


	12. Duodēcim

**\- MANY MANY APOLOGIES. My work schedule is very busy and free time is hard to come by lately. This chapter leads into bigger things and I hope everyone enjoys it. I will try my best not to let too much time pass before I upload the next part! Thank you for your patience, the story will go on!**

 **\- For the full summary and details tags, please visit the AO3 website.**

 **-I'd like to remind readers that I am writing from the movie and book, so if a few details contradict one or the other, please understand.**  
 **-Many thanks to Manalfedz who beta'd this chapter.**  
 **-And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, commented and is supporting this story! I hope you'll continue to enjoy.**

* * *

 **Pay attention to your twisted little indiscretions.**

* * *

Roy couldn't help noticing that Edward continued to look like he wasn't getting proper sleep. He also couldn't help noticing that Hermione Granger was growing ever fonder of the young, blond, spitfire –i.e. crazy- teen **and** that said blonde was seemingly _encouraging_ it.

He remembered encouraging Edward himself, in the beginning, to go ahead and find some enjoyment in the high school experience, but as far as forging anything even remotely like a romantic relationship while they were there in that foreign mind-fucking world, it would just be irresponsible and insensitive. And while Mustang had had his fair share of one night stands and knew rather well the art of gracefully – if that were even possible- letting a girl down when it was inevitably over, he _knew_ Ed had no such experience.

And moreover, Hermione was a sweet, smart and pretty girl, the sort you took home to meet your mother, or in Ed's case, brother, not the sort you had a fling with and then tossed aside. It didn't even matter that Ed hadn't a mother to bring a girl home to, especially not one from another world, because he knew the teen had been taught the basic rules of valuing a woman, a good woman even more so, most probably in a violent and unforgettable way by Izumi Curtis.

But then Roy figured he could be overreacting, maybe Edward was just being nice. Even though Edward was never really nice to anyone based on their gender, age or social standing…or higher rank as it were, in fact, Roy didn't think he'd ever seen Ed really even properly notice a girl. He thought of Table City, of the attractive young Julia Crichton he'd only met briefly after all of the life threatening danger had been smothered. Ed hadn't been particularly nice to her, if anything, he'd only smiled at the girl because he found it amusing that Al seemed to like her, Al who had no hormones to speak of at the time and yet had been more aware of the girl than his older brother, who should by all rights have been bouncing off the walls with puberty induced…well, _everything_.

Then there was Winry, who Roy had honestly pegged for being Ed's inevitable girlfriend just by the way she looked at him whenever he wasn't looking at her. Ah, wait, yes, when he wasn't looking because when Ed was, it was usually while fighting, disagreeing or doing anything that had nothing to do with just noticing her, and she was noticeable, Roy could say so, even if he'd never venture any further than the thought of how objectively attractive she was. Then there was Riza, who at some point, every man in the office had stolen glances at when she wasn't looking, because how could one not? Well, as far as Roy had seen, Edward hadn't, ever.

The Colonel tapped his feathered quill to his cheek presently, frowning slightly as his gaze drifted from the solid stone wall at the far end of the class filled with quietly working students, over to where Edward was sitting with Hermione.

It couldn't be that Edward was so smooth –because that was laughable- that he was able to be discreet to the extent that no one noticed he was looking at women –or anyone else- and learning. Then again, while he wasn't really subtle about anything, Edward **was** able to be very shrewd and sly when it counted, which was rarely, since he was a generally straightforward person, the kind that made most people either afraid to confront him or brave to take him on. And the latter happened far less often from what Mustang knew, and it was only people who knew him well that ever went head to head with him.

But back to smoothness, it seemed now to be a point worth reconsidering, since watching Edward give Miss Granger secret personal smiles, that Roy hadn't realized Ed was capable of, and for how often Hermione's ears tinted pink, it was rather obvious that Ed not only knew how to flirt, but apparently, he was good at it.

And it was bizarre…and yet amusing and endearing…and weird.

All of that aside though, the fact that neither he nor Edward were sleeping was more of a concern to him than Ed's flirting, since losing sleep wouldn't do either of them any good.

A hand shot up in his peripheral and he slowly slid his eyes over to a Gryffindor student who looked very excited, Romilda Vane, if he remembered correctly,

"Yes?" he asked in a bored tone, because he was bored.

"I'm done, Professor-…" she was nudged in the side by the girl who was her partner and she looked barely acknowledging of the girl before she smiled again at Roy, "…we're done." she amended with less enthusiasm and held up what looked like a two page essay on understanding the _Amortentia's_ composition.

Well, at least they were taking it seriously,

"Great, you can bring it up here." he said, feeling lazy like he usually would back home as he waved his hand for her to bring the papers to him. Thinking of how Ed would usually call him a lazy bastard, he glanced over to the blond and found that Ed was rubbing his hands over his face, not in frustration but in weariness.

 _'_ _Definitely not sleeping…'_ he thought surely, since he'd been having trouble sleeping as well since arriving in the new world. He quickly focused back on the Vane girl when she reached the desk with her shorter, plumper friend and he took their papers with outstretched fingers and then placed them on his desk as they walked away.

A minute later, he was staring at the far wall again and contemplating how awful but useful a potion like _Veritaserum_ would be.

* * *

Hermione had decided the day before that she wasn't speaking to Harry and Ron, and so far she was doing well. She'd gone all day not saying a word, sitting near to but not actually with them at breakfast, sitting next to female classmates as opposed to beside or too near to the two boys. It was annoying though, that they seemed equally content to ignore her, it made her resolve to ignore them seem far less effective and also far less satisfying.

It also made her question herself about whether she was really in the wrong just for befriending a Slytherin boy. Had things really gotten so bad that every single Slytherin person would be lumped in with Malfoy and his horrible friends? Well, thinking about that, Edward was one of Malfoy's friends, so in a way it stood to reason he was possibly horrible.

Presently she was watching Edward write down a few more points of ingredient composition for the _Amortentia_ potion, which unlike the Draught of Living Death, would take three days to be properly brewed and would require students to monitor it and pop into the potions class whenever they could to manage it.

It wasn't so bad actually, she liked having to make the effort since in previous years when it came to potions that required lengthy brewing, they were often just overloaded with theoretical work and then offered a view of the finished product by the teacher, whereas Professor Mustang was actually allowing them to make it themselves in class.

Edward was done writing and he was back to skimming the book so Hermione read his notes and compared them to her own, not surprised, but annoyed that he apparently read so much more detail into the flower ingredient than she had,

"You've written that Passiflora is not only an ingredient for its euphoria inducing properties…" because that's all she had written down, "…but because it contains Monoamine oxidase inhibitors and harmine?" she was genuinely curious.

Edward looked up from the book; Hermione noticed he looked tired, but still well enough kempt, his hair was braided instead of his usual ponytail and his uniform robe was slightly creased, but he still looked good…he still looked handsome and he still offered her a pleasant and small smile as he turned slightly to face her.

Their notes were set out side by side between them and Hermione forced herself to look away from his face and down at his hand as he placed a gloved finger to the paper and pointed at the first point he'd written,

" _Passiflora_ contains certain alkaloids which are MAOI's, those are inhibitors usually used in medicine to treat anti-depression but since we're using Passiflora _roots_ , it's probable that the most important ingredient extract intended for the potion in the creation of _Amortentia_ is for the MAOI's mind altering drug effects." he moved his finger to the second point and Hermione found herself listening while looking at the side of his face instead,

"The chemical Harmine is found in Passiflora, as well as various other similar trace alkaloids, which augments dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens shell area of the brain which relates to emotionality, motor function and reward. That means that the effects of a well distilled brew can easily become addictive and fuck with an individual's ideas, feelings and behavioural inhibitions." he looked up from the page to Hermione and she found herself blushing and blinking as he smirked slightly before he lowered his voice a bit more, "Which in terms of the potion and the necessity to add some DNA of the creator, means the intended potion's victim becomes addicted to the creator of the potion…" here he sighed and looked down at the page again, "…which is the magic part I guess, since scientifically that's just ridiculous…" he trailed off, obviously disagreeing with the potion's effects despite understanding the ingredients in it so brilliantly.

Hermione caught herself staring when he looked back at her and smiled in that personal way,

"You get all of that?" he asked quietly and she quickly glanced around to find Ron and Lavender quickly looking away from them, their eyebrows raised and both of them looking confused as all hell.

They'd probably heard a majority of what Ed said and were just as stunned, while Hermione was impressed as well as amazed. Honestly, who needed a love potion when the guy she liked had an intellect like Edward did. Hermione blushed even hotter due to her thoughts as she nodded,

"Yes, well…mostly, you know a lot more about chemicals than I do."

At that point Ed grinned in a sharp and secretive way as he leaned just that bit closer that left him not more than six or seven inches from her face,

"As an alchemist, it's a strict requirement to know the physical make up, matter and material of things."

She stared straight into his face, not wanting to blink as she found herself smiling, feeling less awkward around him when he looked at her so openly,

"Like…a scientist." she questioned quietly.

" _Better_ than a scientist." he cocked an eyebrow, looking smug but also sounding completely frank.

And in that moment she realized that she couldn't find it in herself to believe Edward was horrible or evil, even if logic dictated that by association, he was.

Hermione leaned back a bit when she glanced around again and found the professor watching them, and very quietly she cleared her throat, her stomach feeling light and fluttery. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear,

"So, you just know…things?" she asked pointlessly and fiddled with the pages of her notebook.

Edward leaned his elbow on the table and let his gaze lazily trail from her face to the book and their notes,

"Yeah, pretty much…" he mumbled and then he lowered his gloved hand to the desk top and pressed his palm flat, "…for instance, this tabletop is limestone, which is composed of different crystal forms of calcium carbonate." he explained and she glanced at the light coloured stone table top.

And then his eyes tracked back up to meet hers,

"I can tell you exactly what the human body is made up of, in fact, I could tell you what the exact composition of the human eyeball is." Hermione couldn't help laughing quietly and shaking her head,

"No, that's fine, I believe you…" she fiddled with her quill where it sat in the ink well.

Thinking about the desk top made her remember when Edward had nearly cracked the wooden desk flap in Transfiguration class with only the grip of his hand, and she considered asking him about it right then, but when she looked back to him he was making more notes of the final ingredients for the potion. It made her realize that she wasn't finished either and seeing Romilda Vane announce that she was done already, before her, was an annoying shock. Certainly, Edward was a distraction, not a bad one, but one all the same.

She considered writing out what Ed had explained about the Passiflora, but she decided against it because it felt like she'd be copying. She figured she'd just buy a few muggle science and chemistry books during the holidays and try to learn about it for herself, that'd be good for her potions grade as well as impressive to Edward, surely.

She dipped her head lower as she wrote while glancing at the book intermittently, because she was blushing all over again.

* * *

After finally leaving Snape's office around 9:30 PM the previous night and making his way back to his dorm, without any run-ins with teachers or that annoying bastard Filch and his mean little cat, Edward hadn't had a good night, having not managed to get much sleep.

He'd spent forty-five minutes on the common room sofa finishing up the annoying - but necessary for appearances- homework, while Blaise, Nott, Pike and Crabbe sat around with him, talking shit and occasionally involving him in their conversations about girls, strict uptight McGonagall and Quidditch. When he was done he'd sat with them for ten more minutes and laughed at Pike's impression of the short, stout Charms teacher and then he'd left their company saying that he was tired.

But even when he had changed up behind his bed curtains and had lied down, he hadn't slept, because he was officially involved in the big picture plot of a war-mongering wizard and everyone he wanted to kill, and there was no turning back.

He and Snape had discussed again and again how well Edward would have to play the part of a bad wizard, to which he'd glared but had reassured the older man that he could pull it off. Seeing how worried about it Snape was, Ed actually really meant it too, he'd honestly try, especially for the sake of not fucking up and leaving the magic world behind with a wizard who would resurrect himself _again_ and kill everyone.

Shit, why was there always so much pressure.

Additionally Snape had filled him in on a lot of extra shit, he'd told Ed about Death Eaters in more detail, he talked about the inner circle of Voldemort, he'd talked about Draco Malfoy's given task and –with an angry and sad look- explained how and why he'd made an Unbreakable Vow to the kid's mother.

And yeah, Ed had to say that that was pretty stupid, so he had, much to Snape's annoyance.

And then again they'd revisited how _vital_ it would be for Ed to play the role convincingly. In order to be trusted and believed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Ed would have to be willing to go the distance. Ed quietly disagreed with the extent of Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore, to put himself through all of the danger, but he said nothing about it since his own loyalty when it came to Al…and even to his own 'boss', damn-fucking-shit Mustang, he would push his limits, he had and would again, risk his life.

Also, Ed learned that Draco Malfoy's given task was to _kill_ Dumbledore, which had been a ' _what the fuck'_ moment for him, another thing he'd verbalized at the time. At that point Snape had explained that he'd had to make the vow to Malfoy's mother to be convincing, which meant, as far as Ed assumed, that when it came down to it, Snape would probably die instead of killing Dumbledore, because the blond didn't think it was likely that Draco would be able to follow through, and nor would Snape.

Ed felt sad for Snape. He didn't say so.

They'd talked a bit more as it got later, about Ed continuing on as a regular student, which would also be important with regards to keeping up appearances. Snape had even asked if Ed was really seventeen years old, to which Ed had threatened to knock his teeth out if he even so much as implied that he looked too young for his age –because damn it, he was growing really quickly since the Promised Day! Snape had hissed at him to be quiet while eyeing him wearily and with a fair amount of confusion and then he'd went on to say he was asking because Edward did not come across as being a teenager.

Which was way better, not that Ed wanted to indirectly be called _old_ , but it was better than the alternative.

So Ed had responded saying that yes, he was seventeen, but he wouldn't say anything else about his life. Snape had looked annoyed at that and Ed hadn't cared, the less Snape knew, the better…for everyone. After that they'd wrapped it up, deciding that at the weekend, Saturday night, Snape would take Edward to see Voldemort. It would require sneaking out of the castle which Snape looked worried about, but Ed reassured him he was good at sneaking around, because he was.

All the same, the high pressure situation was weighing heavily on Ed's mind just like it had after the very first time he'd seen Envy and Lust and had known there would be hell to come. Not hell in the sense where his own life would be in any danger though, -much like when he'd been a sacrifice to the Homunculi and had to be kept _alive_ \- because he wasn't afraid of Voldemort, and he wasn't in danger, but his concern for everyone else's lives was a heavy burden.

* * *

For that reason, the week passed in distraction but quite quickly, Edward saving most of his attention and energy for his upcoming meeting with Voldemort because first impressions were important and he had to be a convincing evil son of a bitch when the time came. Still, he spared some attention for Blaise and Nott, while noticing that Draco kept avoiding him and disappearing, and he spared attention for Hermione, because her blushes and smiles were pleasant, but he kept the better part of his mind focused on his upcoming task.

Mustang would have been amazed if he could have known how seriously Ed was trying to take the mission, because the Colonel would know that deep down Ed was more annoyed than anything else with all of the extenuating circumstances. Sure, he was gonna do his best to be an evil-looking and acting guy, but there was no real danger to himself and he just had to pretend to be something he wasn't for the sake of other people.

It was kind of awful though that he kept thinking of Envy when he considered an example of a bad guy to emulate, because Envy had been a pathetic mess when he wasn't being a scary, could crush you with a foot, kind of mess, so he was not a good example to follow.

Ed more seriously considered enacting the façade of Wrath, but even Bradley had been a pretty funny sort of guy when he wasn't crazy evil and super dangerous. And Scar hadn't really been evil, just vengeful, angry and circumstantially dangerous…damn…the bad guys in Ed's life time had been terrifying and amusing all at once.

All except for one…Father.

And while he would be a 'good' example to follow for being evil….being as dark, twisted and psycho as he had been, Ed was wary of trying to imitate that…because he worried that he'd do a too believable and accurate job of it. And why the hell did he even think that in the first place…?

…oh, wait.

Presently Edward was eating breakfast on the first Saturday of his magical schooling career and he paused in chewing as his thoughts caught up with him. He stared at his cup of coffee absently, clenching his fist around his fork as he remembered how Father had been described to Mustang not long ago, when the Promised Day had come and passed.

They'd all been in Al's hospital room; himself, Mustang, Hawkeye, the two Armstrong siblings, Izumi, Sig and of course, Alphonse, who had just started to kick his sleep marathons at the time, managing to stay awake long enough to partake in conversations. The lot of them had been talking about the details that Mustang, who'd had newly restored eyesight thanks to Dr. Marcoh, had missed at the time, explaining to him how things had gone down as vividly as possible.

Ed had added his opinions –meaning he'd interjected the occasional swear word to emphasize someone's point or story- to the descriptions, which varied from professionally offered information from Hawkeye all the way to Alex's fantastical gesticulating story telling abilities and Izumi's one word, severely dealt, not really-explanations.

It had been pretty fun actually, since Mustang had seemed so annoyed that he'd been unable to visually witness all of it, especially after he'd gotten his first look at what was left of HQ and had gaped and flapped his gums uselessly for several seconds at the sheer magnitude of the single handed destruction.

But it had all turned quiet and sour when Mustang had asked what Father looked like.

Everyone had gone quiet, and Edward had glanced around at all of them and found them all looking at him before _Alphonse_ had rasped out quietly,

"He actually looked like Brother."

It had been innocently spoken, Al hadn't intended any harm and everyone else probably hadn't meant anything either when they'd nodded or mumbled agreement, but Ed had felt those words like a dull tugging ache in his gut and he'd shut the rest of the conversation out for a while after that, he'd just been quiet with a tense throat as he'd realized it himself.

Yes, the fully powerful Father had looked like him…or rather, he'd looked like Father. Either way.

And it probably didn't even mean anything really, but yet…somehow it felt like it did, which said more about Ed's feelings toward seeing his face on pure evil than it did about the homunculus choosing to steal his appearance.

Edward swallowed his mouthful of breakfast tensely before he ran his free ungloved hand over his face as he tried to justify his vague disconcertion,

 _'_ _Obviously I looked like him, he'd copied Hohenheim's body…and I…'_ he grimaced, _'…I look a hell of a lot like Hohenheim did when he was young according to what the old bastard told me, so it makes sense Father would choose me.'_ and yet rationalizing it didn't make him feel any less like he was too connected to what Father had been, not just in appearance, but deeper inside…

He also didn't like thinking about how he'd turned Pride's own attempts at possession back on him, right after Pride had told him they were close in blood because of Father and Hohenheim's shared body and blood.

Too fucking close…

Ed blinked out of his thoughts when his upper body jerked under Blaise's heavy, greeting hand on his shoulder,

"Mate, you've been spacing out all week, thinkin' about your girl, are ya?" he said as he stepped into the seat and sat down beside Ed. The blonde sighed quietly and shot Blaise a look that clearly said ' _you're an idiot_ ' before he shook his head,

"No, thinking about girls all the time is your vice, Blaise." he offered and the boy grinned as he reached for the plate of toast,

"Quiditch then?"

"No, that's also yours." Ed smirked and shook his head, before sipping from his coffee.

"Wot's yours then?" Blaise asked with a sly grin.

Ed snorted,

"Food, obviously." he said with relative honesty, because food was a much needed thing for him to even function.

"You can't tell me you think about food _all_ the time." Blaise said around a mouthful of toast.

"Not all…but a lot, like 60 or 70 percent of the time, at least...food is sexy and satisfying too, you know…" Ed said as seriously as he could while talking nonsense and he laughed shortly along with Blaise when the taller teen called him on his bullshit and shoved him lightly.

There was a huffing sigh as Pansy walked over and glared at Crabbe and Goyle before dropping her books down on the table harder than necessary. She then stepped into a seat across from Ed and Blaise, right next to Crabbe,

"Where the bloody hell is Draco?" she turned to ask the large boy beside her.

He just shrugged in response, so she leaned forward to look at Goyle who responded similarly, and when she turned to him and Blaise, Ed spoke up before she could ask, sticking his fork into a sausage,

"Don't ask me, I don't care."

She glared at him for a second, and then looked at Blaise who just gave her a lazy smile,

"Wotsit Pans, you worried he's off snogging some other girl?"

"One track mind…" Ed mumbled around a mouthful of delicious meat.

"Ugh, **shut up** Blaise…" she snapped, but then began to look a little more stressed than angry.

For that reason Ed assumed Blaise had struck a nerve and he smirked in amusement as he took another bite out of the sausage. Quickly bored with the thought though, he looked around the partially busy Great Hall and his gaze eventually fell on Hermione where she was sitting off to the side of her usual group of friends, eating distractedly while reading. And hell, that was an appealing trait as far as Ed was concerned, a smart and attractive bookworm.

Not that Winry wasn't smart though, she just wasn't book smart. He decided then and there, as he swallowed tensely, that he would _never_ say that to Winry's face or even hint at it, because he'd end up with a fucking concussion.

He hadn't realized he was staring until Hermione stood up slowly and gathered her books into her arms. It was Saturday, so Ed thought she was crazy to be doing school work, but he continued watching her as she casted a glance over at her 'friends' and then started to leave the hall and he followed her with his eyes. Blaise and Pansy were talking again, or at least Pansy was saying something about Malfoy, but Ed wasn't interested in the idiot who brought him to Voldemort's attention, the kid was trouble.

So instead he glanced at Blaise when Hermione had slipped out of sight and he picked his gloves up,

"See you later…" he said by way of parting greeting and patted Blaise on his shoulder, the teen glancing at him,

"Yeah, sure mate." he responded as Ed stepped out of his seat and then started walking away.

Ed walked out of the Great Hall and glanced around for the pink and grey pullover hoodie he'd seen Hermione wearing. He wasn't sure why he was seeking her out, but he guessed it had something to do with the fact that she liked him…the idea making him ask himself if he liked her back, something he was becoming curious about.

He leaned over the grand stair banister when he didn't see her walking down the two deviating corridors amongst the other students, and when he did he spotted her descending at a relatively slow pace.

Instead of calling out to her and drawing attention to himself, Ed thought it'd be better to just catch up. So with a quick glance to make sure nobody was going to go by just then on the staircase immediately below, he nimbly jumped up onto the banister and then leapt over, landing at the bottom of the second staircase. He heard someone gasp and he glanced up as he started toward the third staircase and saw there was a girl and her friend staring at him with big amazed smiles on their faces.

Seriously, it was like a ten, maybe twelve foot jump, which was _nothing_.

He ignored them and descended the staircase quickly, his boots lightly touching each step as he went until he fell into step just beside Hermione right when they reached the bottom floor,

"Hey." he said.

She turned to look at him and her eyes widened a bit before she glanced around, a smile creeping onto her face,

"Hello, Ed." she greeted quietly, slowing her pace to match his as they exited the castle, walking down a shorter set of stairs. Edward was wearing his black Flamel coat over his usual leather pants and a black shirt, as well as his charcoal grey Slytherin pullover jersey, since it was cold outside.

He glanced around as well and then looked at her as they walked,

"Does our house truce not extend to weekends?" he said in his ' _that's really stupid_ ' tone of voice, making him sound disinterested and bored.

"What, oh, no, don't be silly…" she laughed in that uncertain way, "…I was just looking around in case you were just going by to s-someone else." she shrugged slightly, "I'd rather avoid a group of oncoming Slytherins if I can." she added and moved to tuck some of her open hair behind her ear, but it was pinned at the side so she just pushed it back over her shoulder, trying to cover the nervous tick.

"Nope, just me and you." he admitted, almost unconsciously continuing to encourage the subtle flirting between them, finding he enjoyed it, something he hadn't done with a girl throughout his teen life. She smiled then, and her blush was much less which he hoped meant she was going to start being less awkward around him,

"Oh well, alright…uh…" nope, she was still awkward, "…are you doing anything much this morning?" she made an honest attempt at conversation as they walked into the open space of the castle's viaduct courtyard.

Ed shook his head as he slipped his hands into his pants pockets, pushing the coat back from his hips to do so,

"Nah, it's the weekend at a boarding school, the options really aren't all that great." he complained and glared at the gloomy sky and its damned cold weather, just a few minutes outside of the castle's heat made a difference, his left leg was already feeling tense.

"Are you…are you wearing leather pants?" Hermione asked completely out of nowhere and he looked at her and then to his pants,

"Yeah." he said and frowned, expecting a negative remark, "Why?"

She was blushing again,

"I just…it's…are they, uh…do you always…" she settled on, "…casually?" and she kept glancing at his legs as she asked her question.

Now, Edward loved leather pants, always had, aside from being durable and comfortable if the fit was just right, they looked badass…and on him, they looked good too, really good. He knew it, he had eyes after all and while a lot of people always thought his taste was garish, no one ever had a bad thing to say about his pants, except asking if they were _really_ comfortable. Another thing people usually assumed was that he was unaware of himself, but as Alphonse had pointed out once when Ed had been bitching about needing a shower and to wash his hair in between missions, was that Ed was 'fussy and vain'.

And Al was right, he knew Ed better than anyone else and while Edward could slum it with the best of them, his hair always had to be neatly done and he liked his clothes to look good on him, no matter what the situation.

So he knew he looked good in leather…and Hermione had just noticed it.

"Not always, but often." he managed not to smirk as she smiled and blinked a few times,

"Well, they look…um…" she paused as they reached one of the courtyard's surrounding corridor banisters and the bench beside it, she set her books down on the bench, "…they fit you…rather…well." she finally managed.

Edward didn't acknowledge the compliment, instead he sat up on a ledge of the colonnade and leaned sideways against the arching support pillar. Hermione sat down opposite and facing him on the bench, leaving a meter space between them, then she crossed her legs and held her jean clad knee with her hands.

She hesitated, a few seconds of silence passing, before asking him a question,

"What does the symbol on your coat mean?" she blinked and tipped her head, "It looks familiar to me but I can't be sure, it resembles the symbol for medicine and healing, the Rod of Asclepius, but then it has wings, so it could be the Caduceus, except it has only one serpent and a cross which…" she trailed off.

Ed assumed it was because he looked like he had no idea what she was talking about…because he didn't, which in terms of how things had been since arriving in that world, was new.

And she smiled when she realized it,

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" she managed to sound apologetic despite smiling.

Ed shrugged as best as he could while leaning against the pillar,

"Nope, feel like explaining?" he smirked at her and tilted his head, already knowing the answer and by the bright smile she gave him he was right to have asked,

"Well, the Rod of Asclepius was wielded by the mythical muggle Greek God Asclepius, he was a deity closely associated with medicine, the symbol for which is a rod with a snake coiled around it. The Caduceus was a staff wielded by the muggle Greek god Hermes, used to represent commerce usually, it's a winged staff with two snakes coiled around it, but the two do get confused." she paused briefly before going on, "Yours is different from both and I feel like I've seen it before…I just can't place it." she continued smiling as she shifted and folded a leg up under herself.

Ed considered what she said, thinking he might like to look into it,

"Muggle gods, huh…" he mumbled and then raised his eyebrows, "…my symbol is the Flamel-…"

"Ah, of course!" before he could finish she smacked a fist into her palm, "The symbol Nicolas Flamel used to represent alchemy, I feel silly for having asked when it should have been obvious." she shook her head, grinning.

"S'no big deal." he said honestly, thinking someone ought to tell her that she didn't need to know everything all the time. She blinked at him with her pretty brown eyes and Ed could just see the questions turning over in her head,

"How much do you know about the muggle world, Ed?"

Edward figured it was best to be honest, seeing as he knew virtually nothing about the world he was in overall, besides magic,

"Not much."

"Just muggle sciences, then?"

"Yeah."

"Because of its necessity in alchemy?"

"Yeah."

He wasn't going to stop her from answering her own questions; it made less work for him and his cover.

"You're a pure blood wizard?" that time her voice was quieter and she seemed a bit tense. Edward blinked at her and then sat forward,

"Yeah." he leaned his elbows on his knees.

"I don't recognize your last name." she admitted.

Ah, so _that_ question again, there honestly weren't enough of the pure wizards in that world for them to be starting a war,

"Elric isn't my last name, it's Hohenheim." and he hated that in a way that sentence was true; he'd have been Edward Hohenheim if his parents had been married.

Hermione looked like she was fascinated by that bit of information,

"Hohenheim, as in Paracelsus Von Hohenheim?"

Edward cracked a smirk, he couldn't help it when he thought of the Slytherins and how Nott had recognized the name and they'd made fun of him for knowing things that Granger would know, apparently they weren't wrong,

"Yeah." he rubbed his gloved hand over his cheek absently.

"Wow, the sorting hat wasn't kidding when it said you had an ancient bloodline." she smiled slightly, uncertainly, and glanced down at her sneakered foot on the ground, she rested it on its side so the underneath of the sneaker was visible.

Edward just knew what she was thinking about…after all, the sorting hat had said a lot of things and he could guess she wanted to know how much of it was true, but he wouldn't be answering so he changed the subject,

"And you're a witch with muggle parents, right?" he watched her carefully and noticed how quickly the pleasant atmosphere disappeared, just because it was a Slytherin asking that question, no doubt.

"Yes, there are no magic people in my family line, besides…me." she had her chin up again, that defiant set to her jaw as if daring him to mock her. Ed smirked and he noticed how she tensed,

"So technically, if you like…marry a pure blood wizard, then any kids you have will be pure bloods, because you are individually a pure blood, spawned straight from magical essence." he tilted his head as he grinned at her, because her expression read that she found what he was saying quite complimentary.

She opened and closed her mouth once before finding words around a smile and uncertain frown,

"I'm not sure that's how it's works, exactly, but…"

"But it makes sense, because how'd you get to be a witch if no one in your family ever was?" he pointed out and then deciding to take her frown away, he added, "That would also explain why you're as good a witch as you are, quality magic essence blood." he winked at her.

She gave a short, surprised laugh and put her hand over her mouth as she shook her head,

"I've honestly…never even thought of that…" she smiled sweetly and blushed next, "…oh sorry, thank you, for the compliment, I have no idea where my manners are today." Hermione looked at him again, and there was a hint of definite fondness in the look she gave him, "You're quite sweet, Ed, really." she said quietly.

He smiled at her then, the same as she was smiling at him and in that moment Ed realized he'd probably gained a fair amount of her trust for how openly she was regarding him. When she finally broke eye contact she was smiling still,

"I've decided that when I return home over the Christmas holidays, I'm going to purchase some muggle science boo-…"

Ed listened to her vaguely as he spotted Mustang in the colonnade across the courtyard, where the older man was giving him a look that said 'come here _now_ , Fullmetal', a look which Ed was pretty well acquainted with since Mustang often liked to test his ability to order Ed around mentally, and it was kind of working since Ed had had to learn to read the bastards facial expressions.

"Ed?" Hermione was calling him and he looked at her,

"Hm?"

She glanced over to where he'd been staring but Mustang had walked away already, meaning Ed had to follow soon,

"I asked if you had any titles you'd recommend I buy?" she asked when she looked back to him.

Edward couldn't answer that, he didn't know any muggle books so he shrugged noncommittally and slipped off the ledge,

"Let me think about it and I'll catch up with you later, 'kay?" he said with a flash of a grin to her surprised look and then he started to walk away, grumbling under his breath about how annoying Mustang was.

He slipped into the relatively empty corridor and spotted Mustang turning a corner after glancing back at him, so he fell into quick steps, his coat flaying behind him. When Ed turned the corner he passed a familiar Slytherin face and nodded when they greeted him and ten strides later he was at Mustang's side.

"What are you doing?" Mustang asked him lowly and Ed frowned, wondering if he'd misread the look, "You can't keep spending time with that girl, you're leading her on."

Oh, he was talking about Hermione.

Wait, leading her on?

"Hardly, I'm just getting along with her." he responded just as lowly, hands stuck in his pockets, gait heavier on the left by default and his expression neutral for anyone who occasionally walked by and saw him talking to the 'professor'.

"I've been watching you both in class, it's obvious she likes you and it's _obvious_ you're enjoying it, now usually…" he glanced at Ed who was clenching his jaw and looking annoyed, "…I would never cock block a friend but at this time, in this place, with our circumstances…" Mustang trailed off, glancing around.

Edward was still stuck on the words _cock block_ and _friend_ because wow, that had escalated quickly…and his ears felt hot…damn it.

They reached the staircase and ascended together, it seemed empty going up and down so Ed found his voice, his throat a bit dry,

"You're not…blocking…anything, bastard." he said in a very hushed tone, "And who said we're friends." he grumbled as an afterthought, even though he was sort of glad –he hated that he was glad- that the older man acknowledged him as a person, an equal, and not just a subordinate.

Mustang was smirking and Ed felt like he might enjoy punching his _friend_ ,

"Oh, so you haven't considered her in a way that isn't platonic?"

Edward surprised himself with his answer,

"Not in any way that concerns my cock."

When Mustang sputtered out a laugh Edward found himself grinning, yeah, he was used to hearing that sort of talk from the soldiers.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for Mustang to recover from sniggering, as expected, since he was probably used to such talk in the military, even if not from Ed personally,

"…that sounded like a 'not yet' tone of voice, Fullmetal." he said quietly, glancing behind them and then looking at Ed who just rolled his eyes,

"You were lecturing me ten fucking seconds ago about how I _shouldn't_ be getting to know her, so stop putting ideas in my head." he made a face right after he said that because Mustang was grinning now, taking his words at face value no doubt.

And shit, why the hell was Ed now thinking about just how much better Hermione looked in casual clothes, when he could make out the shape of her legs and ass in jeans…shit, Mustang's fault!

"I don't blame you, she's cute and smart and that is probably right up your alley…" he became serious again, "…but-…"

"I know, look, I really wasn't thinking anything as perverted as what you implied, Colonel Sleazebag, she's just a nice change of company from the Slytherins." Ed said honestly, preferring intelligent conversation over ribbing and insulting everyone who was not a Slytherin.

Mustang nodded as they reached the sixth floor which his office-cum-living quarters were on,

"Okay, well remember our plan…"

"Yeah, yeah, if I have anything to _report_ , sir bastard," he said sweetly, smirking, "I'll give you a reason to give me detention in class."

"Right." Mustang smirked and then Ed carried on walking when Mustang stopped at his office and went inside.

With a sigh and forcing himself not to wonder about his liking of Hermione, Edward decided he'd get some exercise in by running around the Quidditch pitch, after all, he needed to avoid getting flabby around all the lazy wizards, especially if he was going to be a Death Eater.

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 _Next Chapter - Ed gets a taste of Legilimency, puts on his game face for Voldemort and leaves a lasting impression on Bellatrix._


	13. Trēdecim

**\- Another chapter while I have the time! I can't say when the next one will be up but I will try for sooner rather than later! Thank you for your patience!  
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 **\- For the full summary, additional story images and detailed tags, please visit the AO3 website.**

 **-I'd like to remind readers that I am writing from the movie and book, so if a few details contradict one or the other, please understand.**  
 **-Many thanks to Manalfedz who beta'd this chapter.**  
 **-And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, commented and is supporting this story! I hope you'll continue to enjoy.**

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 **Stapled shut, inside an outside world and I'm sealed in tight, bizarre but right at home.**

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After an excellent run, which, as he'd lapped them several times over, had the Quidditch tryout hopefuls staring at him as though he'd lost his mind -when in fact, as sports enthusiasts, they should have been joining him-, Ed went back to the dorms and managed to shower in peace since everyone was out.

After showering and redressing in fresh clothes better suited for the nippy weather, Edward had headed to the library where he'd spent the day making many coded notes about the world he was currently in, and additionally, notes from a book that talked about interdimensional travel. It was the only topic he'd found so far that sounded as if the scenario fit what had happened to him and Roy; it was a definite possibility they were in a different dimension. An unsettling possibility too.

The book he'd read wasn't particularly scientific though, being as it was a fucking magic school, so it was more of a magic person's opinion on what had been printed in muggle books, which made Ed itch to get his hands on some _real_ reading material, with real science and real physics by real scientists and real physicists.

Presently, he had his written notes stuffed in the inner pocket of his plain black robe as he made his way down to the dungeon area of Hogwarts castle just after dinner, and having eaten less food than he would have liked due to some anxiousness, he wasn't in the best mood. He wasn't afraid of the dark wizards, he wasn't afraid of Voldemort even, but he _was_ worried about his ability to play a truly convincing bad guy.

As a general rule, Ed wasn't the nicest guy. He liked to beat people up and he was pretty underhanded when he needed something and people were in his way. But he wasn't a **bad** guy, that is, he wasn't evil minded, he wasn't malicious and sadistic and psychopathic.

And from what Snape had told him, all of the dark witches and wizards were precisely those things, murderers as well. And what was more, Snape had said that Ed would have to witness a lot of horrible things, have to do a few too if he was going to convince the Death Eaters he was one of them. Of course, under no circumstances would he kill anyone, he wouldn't do it for a creepy, batshit wizard faction if he hadn't even been willing to do it for his own country's military. So he'd have to find a balance, and he'd have to be really convincing.

Just like Mustang could be when it was required; the bastard could look completely remorseless and sadistic when he wanted to. Like the time he'd faked Maria Ross's murder, Ed had really believed he'd done it just from looking at the dark look on the older man's face. So Ed would have to be that way too, he'd have to tap into every memory of every evil son of a bitch he'd encountered in his life and he'd have to reenact those feelings of anger and hate as best as he could.

Envy popped into his head again, because despite being a pathetic mess in the end, at the core Envy had been evil as all fuck. Edward pursed his lips and curled his hands into fists as he walked, thinking of how casually Envy had acted about death and murder in every instance. There hadn't even been a hint of anything remotely resembling a human inside of that _thing_. Ed turned a corner as he considered all of the Homunculi.

Greed had been almost likeable in some strange way, as Ling of course, but even the time before that when Ed had fought the first Greed. He'd seemed like the sort of guy who could be reasonable and didn't look for senseless problems and fights if he could avoid it. After all, he'd tried to bargain with Ed and he hadn't even attempted to hurt Alphonse until Ed showed up and lost his shit.

Ed snorted and smirked to himself in the dark walkway, shaking his head as he thought of Greed's face when Ed had started yelling at him. It had been amusing, despite it having been a dangerous situation. Then there was Lust, Ed hadn't seen much of her, thinking back, he'd only encountered her once in lab 5 before she was turned into a charred bad memory by Roy, but having heard the tale of how she'd dated Jean for a few weeks and had pulled it off pretty damn well, Ed figured she'd had some semblance of a human psyche in order to manage it. Gluttony had definitely had human traits; loyalty to Lust had been a dead giveaway since he'd lost his shit over her death when he'd tried to swallow Mustang that time.

Ed snorted again.

Geez, the shit he'd been through…all of them, had been through so much shit.

Another human trait in Gluttony had been his naivety in certain things, like when he'd taken Alphonse to see Father simply because Al had talked him into it. _Stupid_ fitted better actually; naïve was too kind a word. Wrath had been a bastard and a half, but having heard about his reaction to fighting Scar in the end, what his last words had been and his ability to be diplomatic, showed he'd had a human side, more so because he had actually been a human originally. Pride had been a vicious and volatile fucker, but that was partly because he'd taken control of a _child's_ body, it was so wrong to take over the life of someone whose mind had been so young and helpless. But because of that, underneath that monster had been a human boy that had grown attached to a mother. And then there was Sloth, he'd been a giant idiot who just did as told, but had also seemed like he would rather have **not** had to fight, if he could have been left to his own devices, he'd have probably slept all the time, maybe forever.

Edward was finally coming up on Snape's dreary ' _I'm such a dark wizard_ ' office of gloom, when his thoughts circled back to Envy, and of course there were no instances of humanity in him, or it, as it were. To the very end, when he'd bitten Ed and expressed his disgust at Edward seeing into the truth of his namesake, he had been a horrible and literally inhuman creature…and his envy and jealousy had literally made him eat himself inside out.

And of course, there had been Father, but he hadn't been a human or had even been created in the human world, so expecting anything but an inhuman existence from him would have been foolish.

The fact that they'd survived all of those creatures still amazed Edward, and made him smile and miss home. He and Mustang were supposed to be in Amestris, so Ed could be with his newly restored brother and the Colonel could pick up the pieces of Amestris along with the rest of the good people left in the military. They were supposed to be there with everyone, enjoying their victory over pure evil…Ed should have been there to see the look of bliss on Al's face when he finally got to eat Winry's specially baked pie, the recipe courtesy of Gracia Hughes.

He paused at the door to Snape's office and stared at the wood for a second, swallowing hard and suppressing his emotions about his brother, because they would not help him where he was about to go. He had to believe he'd get back to Alphonse, just like he'd had to believe he was going to get Al's body back, he only hoped this time it wouldn't take him years…

The thought made him clench his fists so tightly his knuckles popped, it made Ed furious because it was supposed to be **over** , the Promised Day should have been the last of the distance between them, between him and his family and his friends, he was supposed to be able to start actually living his life.

His anger was pure right then, over the painful irony that was his shitty life all the time.

And Mustang was here too this time, stuck with him, dragged –literally- into Ed's mess.

He **had** to get home, for Alphonse, Mustang, and for himself, and the notes in his pockets were a start, he just needed to get his hands on the right reading material…but how? As he unclenched his white knuckled fists and placed his hand on the door to push it open, Edward thought of Hermione. Because she was muggle-born and she was a book lover and if anyone could help him get his hands on muggle-books, it was her. He stopped himself from smiling at his new plan of action and instead allowed his anger to remain, because angry was a good mood to be in when meeting a bunch of nutcase killers.

He didn't bother to knock, Snape had told him to be there at 9:15, when all of the other kids were in the dorms according to the curfew time, so he walked in, expecting to be expected. And he was, Snape was sat behind his desk staring at the far wall, and he turned his gaze to Ed when the teen walked in and shut the door behind him,

"What a surprise, so you can be punc-tual…Elric." he said in his lazy drawl as he stood up. Ed had to force himself not to laugh as he compared that to Mustang's similar words every time Ed did something that was actually on time, the only real difference being that Mustang always said Fullmetal, never Elric.

Elric was too impersonal somehow, and realizing that made Ed think that maybe he should stop calling Mustang by his last name, after all, they were friends and it was such a cold way to address someone, even if he never intended it that way with his ex-commanding officer. The man before him presently however,

"Snape, you'll be surprised at how many times you'll be surprised when it comes to me…" he said casually as he walked over to stand opposite the older man across the desk, "…so, let's get this over with."

Snape regarded him for a moment and Ed frowned, sensing a rise of magical energy in the space between them, like only an alchemist could. And then _something_ happened and Ed's eyes snapped open wide and alert; his hearing lapsed into a sharp suction noise and then abruptly sounded echoed yet distinct, as if he were in a large glass jar breathing too loudly. But his vision was crystal clear and Snape looked extremely concentrated. Ed focused on what was happening, focused on why his mind felt so empty and only after a few seconds of harsh breathing and glaring at Snape did Ed feel as though something was moving inside of his mind…but outside of his consciousness.

And Edward snapped,

"You fuck!" he said through clenched teeth and shut Snape out of his mind so fast the man looked startled as he stepped back a pace. But Ed was _pissed,_ and he jumped onto the table and punched the older man in the face before he'd even been able to get a word out. The man staggered back, extremely flimsy whenever it came to physical tasks, and when he fell over his chair and onto the ground Ed was on him, hands in his robe collar, knee on his chest and seething, teeth bared inches from Snape's pasty face,

"What the fuck did you see, you son of a bitch?" he asked in the voice that had made many worthier opponents cower.

Snape was paler than usual now, shocked and nervous, his lip was bleeding and his cheek where Ed had hit him was red and irritated. His eyes were even a little wider than usual and he swallowed very tensely, breathing loudly, obviously shaken as his nostrils flared,

"Hardly…anything…" he said slowly and Ed rattled him once for good measure,

"What did you **hardly** see?" he asked lowly, threateningly.

Snape swallowed again,

"It wasn't too –clear…" Ed went to shake him again and he spoke quickly before his aching head could get rattled, just how Ed liked em', quick to give in, "…I saw a boy in a hospital bed, he appeared to be unconscious." Ed's expression must have turned murderous because Snape paled further and quickly added, "Besides that, I only saw bits and pieces of you talking to…Granger about _muggle_ things…" his eyes narrowed at that and Ed did likewise, a silent warning to divulge _all_.

Snape acquiesced, probably because he was curious,

"And just be-…fore you cast me out…I saw Roy Mustang…smiling at you in a rather fam-iliar wa-ah!" Snape shouted when Ed raised his hand as if to punch him again, but then after clenching his fist tightly and exhaling through his nose, Ed shoved him down roughly onto the ground instead, keeping pressure on Snape's chest with his knee as he pointed a finger just inches from the man's nose,

"If you **ever** try that shit again, I'll break your fucking face, old man." he warned, deadly serious, before he got up in one fluid movement, tossing his robe back from his sides in irritation because it felt like it was crowding him and he stepped away from Snape, clenching and unclenching his fists in anger.

That had been _too close_ , he hadn't even realized what Snape was doing at first, but at least he'd caught it just in time, and lucky too since Snape only seemed to catch glimpses of what had been immediately on his mind, the bastard! Ed was just about to start spitting curses and demanding more answers from Snape when the man sat up slowly and spoke,

"My intent in using _Legilimancy_ on you…was not ill, El-ric." he said sullenly, reaching out for the armrest of his heavy wooden chair to help himself stand up, "It is not taught at Hogwarts for the reason that it is dangerous and un-ethical, but that does not mean the dark lord…" his voice wavered as he pulled himself to stand up, "…would not immed-iately try to use it on you to reveal **your** intentions toward…him." he finished, dusting his robes down, looking annoyed and slightly pained.

Edward just glared at him, thinking over what he'd said and yeah, Snape wasn't wrong, but still,

"You should have warned me."

"He would give you _no_ …warning." Snape gingerly touched his swelling cheek and lip, giving Ed a look that suggested he thought Ed was some sort of hooligan or animal, "And his abilities are far superior to mine."

The professor lifted his wand off his desk and pointed it to his cheek and barely waved it before his wordless spell had his injury disappearing clean off his face. It certainly took away the fucking satisfaction of clocking someone for Ed, but watching him at least wince as the magic healed it was not so bad.

The teen exhaled some of his –intense- anger and nodded,

"Fair enough, he probably wouldn't, so…" he grinned in that way that pissed people off because he was so insensitive, "…how'd I do?"

Snape glared at him slightly, but then looked resigned and thoughtful,

"You've had _Legilimancy_ performed on you before?" he asked quietly.

Ed raised his eyebrows, thinking of when Pride had tried to possess his body, that had been a fuck lot harder to overcome than what had happened a moment before, but it had served as a decent lesson in getting intruders out of his mind at least,

"No." he answered the direct question, Snape didn't need to know any shit about his past.

Snape actually looked angry and impressed at the same time,

"You mean…to tell me, that was your first attempt at _Occlumency_?"

Ed shrugged.

Snape inhaled deeply while glaring before he turned to gaze at the wall again,

"You should be fine then." he said stiffly, "I wasn't able to penetrate further than your most rec-…ent thoughts and you cast me out quickly." he sounded like he hated to admit it.

"Alright, good…so-…"

"But there is the matter of Miss Granger." Snape looked at him sharply, "A muggle-born witch is by the far the most _loathed_ thing…in the eyes of any Death Eater…as you well-know, El-ric. You will be directly endangering her if you continue to have any sort of contact with her." he admitted quietly, sounding like he hated having to warn against that as well.

But underneath his big bad façade, Snape gave a real shit about the students, regardless of their magic birth types, and that's the only reason Ed had a fair amount of tolerance for him; he wasn't a **bad** guy either.

"Don't worry about that, I'll handle it, she's fine."

"Oh, will you?" Snape drawled.

"I will." he said bluntly.

Snape sneered,

"Teenagers…" he shook his head, "…regardless of a brilliant mind, hor-mones still run rampant." he mumbled as he neatened out his robes again, but Ed had heard him and he felt simultaneously annoyed and embarrassed, because Snape was wrong…but just…mostly-ish, because on some level, yeah…Hermione was attractive and Ed liked her sort of, kind of…or whatever.

"Whatever, let's just go already." he huffed and stepped around the current topic in his not-subtle-at-all manner.

Snape nodded, apparently agreeable, and he walked by him, heading toward the door. So Ed followed and after the dungeon office was magically locked behind them, they strode –because Snape didn't seem to know what walking normally was- through the empty fire lit halls in a direction Ed hadn't been, up a flight of stairs and around more corners. He kept up with Snape, all the while quiet and memorizing the walkways until they came out of a passage Ed hadn't known led to the back of the castle, overlooking a steep embankment all the way down to Hagrid's small, round house.

Ed grumbled quietly to himself as they stepped into the cold open air, his leg was still pretty warm from being inside but it'd start to ache pretty quickly if they were outside too long, he could handle an ache though, same as he could handle a headache.

"This way." Snape gave Hagrid's smoking house one distasteful look and then headed down the embankment in a different direction.

After some more walking across the school grounds, dark and damp and cold like Ed had not experienced it yet, they finally reached the edge of the school grounds clearing, stopping at a line of heavy trees which made up the forbidden forest. Ed didn't hesitate to follow Snape into the trees, earning himself a glance and a raised eyebrow. He'd told Snape he'd be surprised a lot, so Ed just raised his own eyebrow and watched his breath puff out white in front of his face as they walked through the cold forest.

If Snape thought Ed was scared of what hid in the woods around the school, he was super mistaken.

They came to an abrupt halt several meters in and Snape held out his arm,

"Hold on…tightly." he said very seriously.

Ed didn't like this at all.

"You're gonna disapparate?"

"Yes."

"Can't we like…walk there, or drive or something?" he blinked golden eyes in the moderate dark.

Snape looked amused, the bastard.

"So intrepid, and yet you're afraid to apparate?" he was teasing, Ed assumed, but it sounded droll and mean, like everything Snape ever said.

Successfully baited by the mocking challenge –damnit-, he grabbed Snape's thin forearm, which was layered in heavy robes, tight enough that the man winced at his grip,

"Not afraid, asshole, just not a fan…" ' _…of having my body deconstructed and reconstructed.'_ he added in a thought as he braced himself, he fully expected it to be a familiar feeling.

A little painful, a little hollowing…scary and cold…like it was in the Gate.

"You will need to learn…" Snape paused, "…or do you already know how?"

Edward figured Snape was thinking of the cat he'd disapparated during his exam, and while he knew how to deconstruct and reconstruct the human body in perfect detail, he had a few reservations about apparating magically,

"I'll manage." he said evasively, not confirming nor denying whether he was capable, he'd have to practice it when he was alone.

Snape looked even more curious at his answer but said nothing, he just blinked slowly and then there was a noisy suction, a pop, and a stream of muffled gushing noises rushing at Ed. He couldn't even breathe properly and there was acutely intense nausea in his gut at feeling of being flipped and twirled under high pressure.

When they 'landed', his feet on solid ground and no longer feeling like he was being pulled through a dense and narrow water-filled tube, Ed inhaled loudly and wobbled a bit; his automail leg felt so heavy.

After breathing in much needed oxygen, feeling started to return to Ed's body, the cold seeping into his bones and his leg feeling less heavy. He glanced at Snape quickly to find the man clenching his teeth and looking at where Ed held his forearm in a vice grip, clearly hurting him.

"I feel like I'm gonna…throw up." he mumbled as he let go of the older man's arm and put his gloved hand over his mouth.

"If you must, do so now, before we go inside." Snape said drolly, giving Ed a quick once over.

Edward just ignored him and took a few seconds to make sure his stomach was still in its anatomically correct place before he stood up a bit straighter, ran his hands through his bangs and nodded,

"Alright, not gonna barf, let's do this."

Snape smirked just slightly, amused at Ed's facial expression which the teen could only assume looked either pale or green from that little roller coaster ride. On the bright side though –and shit Alphonse's endless positivity had rubbed off on him at some point- it hadn't felt anything like having been broken down and ripped apart by the Gate, so there was that.

Snape then looked at him seriously,

"From here on, Elric-…"

"Yeah, undercover, I get this whole thing more than you think, Snape." he informed just as seriously.

"Good." the older man tipped his head and then he was striding again, robes billowing and expression severe. Ed realized he needed to get into character pronto because they were walking off the sidewalk and into a large manor courtyard through a slightly ajar and very large wrought iron gate.

For a split second it felt like walking up to Shou Tucker's house –except the present house was three times bigger-, and not from the time before he'd known of the sickening horror story of the man who lived there, but to afterward, when he'd gone back…the ominous feeling he'd had subconsciously when they'd arrived on that overcast day, the day when Nina had been…

Edward allowed the anger of the memory to fuel his scowl as they walked through the partially open gate, which Snape waved his wand at afterwards and closed it behind them with magic. The yard of the house was massive, it was more like the Fuhrer's house in size, except the garden area was far more spruced up, with pillars and preened garden trees and trim bushes lining the walkway which led to the front door of the mansion. Ed kept his glances short and not too interested as he surveyed the property, which would have looked much better if the weather wasn't so gloomy all the time.

But that detail seemed partially caused by the Death Eaters, by Voldemort…and Ed was just about to meet the fucker; it was game time. When they reached the front door Snape didn't knock, he just walked in, opening and pushing the door inward before striding inside…

Ed followed and raised his eyebrows at the large, and completely empty, foyer, which was unlit and cold, the large fireplace bare. There wasn't a piece of furniture or even a painting or picture to be seen in the room.

 _'_ _These guys sure are dramatic about being bad guys.'_ Ed mused, having been in many bad guys' lairs over the years, and those places had at least some character to them.

Heck, even Father's lair had had the weird throne-like structure with pipes, a stone seat and lab equipment in the center, there had been some intense fluorescent lights on the high ceiling and a goddamned giant crucible like structure with **lava** in it. Now that was character, **that** was villain style. This place was just like an abandoned house, it seemed more like an amateur, drug dealer hide out, than a major powerful villain hide out.

"Elric." Snape snapped irritably from where he was halfway up a flight of stairs off to the right of the foyer.

Yeah, Al would tell him he really needed to stay focused.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, tried not to grin in amusement and walked to the stairs to catch up to Snape. His boots scuffed on the stone stairs and it echoed, that's how empty the place was, but then at the top of the stairs the air was warmer and Snape came to a stop.

Ed stepped up beside him and his eyes fell on the room just further in from the stairs, and in there was a little more character. There was another large fireplace for starters, and it was blazing high with strong flames, also, there were low and large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and then there was a long dining table, with two dozen high back chairs around it, and while there was no one dining, there were people seated at it.

But there weren't actually very many people in the room overall.

As they walked into the room proper, slower than Snape's usual stride, Ed counted only five people besides himself and Snape, and Ed kept his expression neutral when the first person noticed them. He was a rat-like looking man –very literally mind you- and Ed assumed he might be some twisted sort of magical chimera, probably the sort of person called an _animagus_.

Rat man smiled slyly,

"Severus." he greeted, and then his eyes slid to Ed, "who is the boy?" he started to come closer and Snape sneered at him, looking at him with obvious disdain,

"Keep your dis-tance, Pettigrew, the Dark Lord requested to see him personally." Snape said in his clipped and dull, but serious tone and Pettigrew looked unkindly acquiescing as he backed up again to stand next to a pillar, his hands -one silver, seemingly metal but not anything like automail- fidgeting in front of him.

At this point the few people at the table had turned to look at them and Edward wasn't too surprised to see Draco sitting at the table too, looking tense and uncomfortable. Draco's eyes opened comically wide at the sight of him and he quickly turned away just as Snape addressed the room,

"Has the Dark Lord arrived?" he looked over them and Ed did too, aside from Draco there were three older men all huddled further down the table, they'd obviously been conspiring about something.

"Yes he has, he's in the drawing room with Lucius and Bellatrix." one of them said while eyeing Ed with a frown of distaste, "S'he a Malfoy?" the man gestured to Ed and then looked at Draco, "Cousin of yours, Draco?" the man asked the teen with a crooked smile.

Draco's head snapped up and he glanced at Ed, and he was about to say something that would piss Ed off, judging by the sudden frown on his face, so Ed spoke before he could,

"Not a Malfoy, not even close." he said evenly, but he made sure to sound vaguely offended at the implication. Everyone looked shocked that he'd spoken at all, even Snape glanced at him, but the professor seemed more mildly admonishing than shocked and Ed didn't know if he was hiding it or if he was just _not_ _surprised_ any more. Heh. Good, he should get used to it.

Draco looked extremely surprised though and this time when he stared, he didn't look away.

"Indeed, not a Malfoy." a voice rang out from across the room and everyone looked over at the source, Ed included, and that was when he saw the ugliest mother fucker he'd ever seen…which was saying something considering some of the shit he'd encountered.

Like Envy.

But this guy, woah…

"My Lord." Snape said and lowered his head in greeting as the ugly motherfucker –who was apparently Voldemort- came around the side of the table from beyond a dark doorway, approaching them at a gradual pace.

His deep inset eyes, snakelike just as the rest of his face was, were focused on Ed as he came closer. And it came naturally to Edward when facing an enemy to hold eye contact dead on, but when Snape very subtly raised his arm as if gesturing when really he was trying to break the eye contact, it worked, and Ed realized he was –already- out of character.

"This is the boy, my Lord." Snape announced as Ed mentally assimilated his intended dark façade and headspace.

His character was supposed to think this ugly bastard was his own personal dark lord and master, some savior shit. Yeah, this was gonna be pretty hard to pull off.

Getting back on track, Ed lowered his eyes and bowed his head –just a fragment-, and chose not to say anything, because on his best day he wouldn't have been able to _not_ sound sarcastic in calling anyone 'my lord'.

 _'_ _Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.'_ a voice in his head said, one that sounded distinctly like Alphonse's ' _idiot brother_ ' tone and Ed clenched his jaw, mentally getting his shit together.

He could pull it off. Definitely.

"Edward Elric." Voldemort said with a sly smile that was more in his voice than on his tight-skinned face. Ed raised his head then, holding minimal eye contact so as not to look as defiant as he really was or as if he were challenging the guy and he nodded stiffly.

Voldemort laughed in this strangely condescending and put upon way,

"Don't be shy, boy, I just heard you speak quite confidently just now." he was coaxing Ed into a response, his tone suggested he thought Ed was intimidated by him.

Pfft.

"I'm told you're a prodigy, a wizard the likes of which Hogwarts has not seen in a very, _very_ long time. Performing magic beyond your years as well as being born of a pure wizard blood line so old that it's _ancient_." Voldemort smiled with his sharp teeth, eyes half-lidded and the green-white colour of his bald head and skin catching the light from overhead, only making the guy's ugly mug even more unflattering to look at.

Ed cocked an eyebrow, mentally weighing his options; either he could try to play the quiet, brooding, reverent type –which would be incredibly hard to manage - or he could put his earlier decision into play and use Envy as an example for his evil characterization…and Envy won out, because that gross bastard had been a truly evil asshole after all, while being cocky but effectively, yet not too obviously, subservient to his cause and Father.

Something of a rebel, in a way.

Ed could work with that.

So, slipping a bit of Envy's attitude in with his own, Ed answered the question in the best way he knew how, while keeping his gaze on Voldemort's,

"Yeah, what can I say, I'm the shit." he shrugged, hands in his pockets.

The room was deathly silent then, and there was a woman standing just behind Voldemort who was looking at Ed like he was a crazy person. And since she actually looked like a crazy person herself, with a head full of dark curly hair obscuring her face and wide eyes, her expression was pretty comical. To top it off, she was the first one to crack a crazy smile, right before Voldemort grinned and laughed in a way Ed guessed was meant to sound regal.

When he laughed, throwing his head back slightly and looking around, almost everyone in the room began to laugh along, and Ed made a note of the ridiculously typical reaction everyone had to laughing when Voldemort did. Everyone except for Snape, who remained distinctly unamused, and Draco, who looked horrified and amazed, and of course Ed, who just kept his eyes on Voldemort as unobtrusively as he could.

Voldemort's laugh died down but he kept grinning as he looked at Ed again,

"Dear boy, I find myself intrigued…" his smile slipped away completely then and Ed's guard went up instinctively, "…by your arrogance." he sounded somehow threatening when he said that and Ed sensed it, like he always did, when someone was about to attack.

That distinct tension that would slip into the air…

Someone in the room whipped out a wand and shot a curse at Ed and just because he could, Ed decided to show the fuck off and wandlessly, striking his hand out in the direction of the curse's energy coming his way, he disarmed the attack with a sharp gesture…using magic, **not** alchemy.

Ed wasn't about to show all of his cards, he had many tricks up his sleeve and Voldemort didn't need an in depth demonstration of them, not like what Ed had shown Snape - and the older man had apparently not told Voldemort about. But seriously, Edward could have dodged that stupid curse in his sleep _and_ broken Voldemort's jaw in the next second with a nice solid introduction of his boot to the bastard's ugly face. He could also have used alchemy and leveled the entire room, the entire fucking mansion, which would have rendered all of them _useless_.

Hell, Ed could have **ended** them all right fucking **there** …and his blood was singing with the need to unleash his violent tension; the feeling being so unfamiliar to him until recently, and worse still, it felt even less controlled than before. He could only assume it was because he was so stressed out. He just kept telling himself that…

Instead of angry or shocked, Voldemort looked thrilled at the quick disarmament, his narrow eyes wide and his gaze set on Ed's face, but only for an intense moment before he looked at Snape,

"Wordless, wandless magic, Draco mentioned it but I had my doubts."

Snape nodded stiffly,

"Yes, My Lord, he exceeds all expectations, I assure you." he said in a flat voice.

The atmosphere in the room shifted then, Voldemort started to look contemplative and Ed kept his guard up, he didn't like how Ugly's expression was settling somewhere between being impressed and distrustful.

"Hm, let me see him exceed **my** expectations." Voldemort said darkly then and smiled in a generally evil way as he stepped backwards and to the side, "Bellatrix." he stated in a firm tone and immediately the crazy lady stepped forward, hissing out a _'Yes, My Lord'_ as she whipped out her wand, while everyone stood up and looked prepared to do something, even as they all stayed back.

Ed flitted his assessing gaze around the room quickly, surmising that their reactions meant either she was a badass witch, or she was a really bad shot, and when Snape stepped back too, Ed spread his legs just slightly to be better grounded in case of a fight, readying himself. Bellatrix's name rang familiar now, and hearing it a second time he remembered that she was the crazy escaped convict bitch from the newspaper back at Diagon Alley.

And presently, she lashed her wand out at Ed several times harshly, sending curses at him in quick succession as she creepily grinned all the while, like the maniac she was, taunting him to ' _stop being a coward and fight back_ '. Ed deflected the attacks wandlessly and without a problem, before he quickly pulled out his own wand, because without something in hand he felt the persistent urge to clap and use alchemy, which wasn't an option.

It was only after he deflected her most recent curse that Ed remembered he didn't even _need_ to clap anymore, the thought causing a thrill of power to go through him…and as he often did, he got carried away, except now he felt a dark rush driving his intent. Not bothering to deflect again, Ed sidestepped another green curse and with narrowed eyes, he pointed his wand out in front of him –for appearances-, aiming directly at her and without saying anything he struck her backwards forcefully…using alchemy, which she could not deflect.

And he'd used the magic energy as a pseudo-Philosopher's Stone to create a solid force from absolutely nothing, so he knew she'd feel pain. And that had been his intent…

The sight and sound was gratifying too, as her cackling was abruptly cut short and she flew backwards so suddenly and harshly that Ed swore she'd have whiplash. And after flailing sharply through the air, she hit the wooden floor with a thwack and clatter of her limbs, clothes, boots and wand, skidding until she slowed to a stop at the other end of the dining room.

Ed's bangs settled after the wind from the alchemy blowback had dispersed, as it usually did when he performed a transmutation, and he didn't realize he was smiling until everyone turned to look at him and he heard Snape let out a quiet, slow breath behind him.

Well, she was a bad guy…uh, girl, and he loved beating up bad people, so she had it coming.

Deciding he was justified in his actions and ignoring the coiling of rage, exhilaration and satisfaction in his stomach, Ed lowered his wand and stood up straight again, glancing at the unmoving and probably more than winded Bellatrix –the fucking murderer- laying across the room. Then he glanced at his audience and shrugged, not having to work too hard to feign the nonchalance in his tone when he asked,

"Too much?" with raised eyebrows.

Snape had said he'd need to prove his ability, his loyalty and impress Voldemort if he wanted to get close. Surely kicking the magical shit out of Voldemort's big bad murdering Bellatrix was a damn good way to climb ranks? Yeah, Mustang had always said; aim for the big fish standing in your way if you want to climb ranks. Made sense.

Voldemort tilted his head slowly, glancing from Ed to Snape, who had come to stand beside Ed again, and then finally, he barely glanced behind him to where Bellatrix was laid out flat in a heap of hair and robes.

He smiled again then, but it was guarded, and Ed wondered if Ugly had a problem with what he'd done because Bellatrix was definitely injured and it was Ed's fault, or if it was because Voldemort was now _wary_ of him. If it was the latter, then it was going to be a hitch in the plan, because when people found one to be a threat, they tended to be far less trusting and way more motivated in trying to kill that someone.

"Not at all, very impressive skill and power…" Voldemort spoke at last, shattering the ensuing silence as he weaved his long-nailed fingers together and refocused on Ed, "…there's just one final thing."

The fact that Snape tensed ever so slightly next to him warned Ed that it was probably Voldemort's turn to test him, and Ed expected a wand to come out, or maybe even a wordless spell…

…but instead, his mind was assaulted so quickly, deftly and _forcefully_ that he actually grunted, shut his eyes and covered them with his free hand while he gripped his wand tightly in the other.

Oh, shit.

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 _Next Chapter - Ed becomes a Death Eater._


	14. Quattuordecim

**\- Sorry for the long wait! Here's the newest chapter!  
**

 **\- For the full summary, additional story images and detailed tags, please visit the AO3 website.**

 **-I'd like to remind readers that I am writing from the movie and book, so if a few details contradict one or the other, please understand.**  
 **-This chapter is not beta'd, in my hurry to get it out, I skipped sending it my beta-reader T_T**  
 **-And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, commented and is supporting this story! I hope you'll continue to enjoy.**

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 **I've been waiting for this to unfold, but the pieces are only as good as the whole.**

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Voldemort's _Legilimancy_ was **much** more powerful than Snape's and it wasn't subtle, Edward could tell the bastard was trying to get into his subconscious straight off the bat; he clearly wasn't fucking around.

But Edward's resolve to protect his memories, himself, Mustang and the knowledge of who he was and where he came from, was **just** as powerful.

He wasn't fucking around either.

Ed had a helluva' good handle on his conscious and subconscious mind, thanks to his time spent in the Gate, so he was easily able to sink into his own headspace. And quickly, so as to protect his present thoughts -which were closer to the surface- and _stall_ Voldemort, Edward wrenched up his worst, most graphic and horrific memories of the Gate.

The massive monolith came abruptly to mind, followed by the endless, insanely overwhelming white nothingness _everywhere_ , and next was the Truth's disconcerting visage in the near distance, a face that looked so familiar and yet like absolutely nothing recognizable, its laugh echoing in the massive space and its deceiving and frightening smile stretched wide and mirthless across the lower half of its face…

…the arms and the blackness that manifested then, from his vivid memory, did so without prompting and Ed clenched his jaw against the searing pain of perpetual deconstruction that flooded his nerves along with the bitter, stagnant **cold** …

And fuck, holy shit, Ed swore he felt the temperature of the room around him drop, his skin feeling cold as ice and sore for it, and for a second he heard the Truth's voice as if it were right in his ear, laughing and taunting him, challenging him. _Back again? Silly Alchemist, you never learn. But you're different now…oh, yes…_

It faded to white noise…broken breathing…which pitched into more laughing and then became the cacophonic screaming of thousands of souls –crying, lost, fractured- which was blaringly loud in his head.

It took Edward a raw, painful second to realize it was his own voice, he was shouting ' **no'** over and over in his mind and then suddenly, like taking a breath after being suffocated, Edward felt Voldemort's presence clearly in his mind, seeping and sticky, clinging and unwelcome, and without a moment's hesitation he _violently_ cast him out, just as he'd done with Snape, shutting everything down to the intruder.

Ed's eyes snapped open with the action, breathing slightly heavier as he glared at Voldemort, feeling mentally exerted. But for the moment, he didn't focus on how drained he felt, since there was the more pressing issue of Voldemort and company immediately at hand. And gauging snake-faces expression, Edward felt fairly certain that his plan to stall and shock had worked.

The Gate was an overwhelming, psychosis inducing, clusterfucking entity to the absolute best of minds; and to everyone else, first hand it almost always drove people insane, and second hand it would cause immense fear, paranoia and confusion, so much so that the image would stop _anyone_ in their tracks if they were to encounter it.

And Voldemort certainly looked paler than his green complexion right then, his expression somewhere between confused, angry and worried. Ed itched to punch him in his pasty face the same as he'd done Snape for trying to get into his mind, but he knew he couldn't right then…someday though.

"My Lord?" Snape asked quietly beside Ed and Voldemort's eyes moved to him immediately, as if snapped out of a stupor, before he attempted to school his expression back into the 'I'm so evil' look.

"A word, Severus." Ugly said just as quietly and then he turned and walked away without another look at Ed, his robes flailing behind him. Snape followed, not looking at Ed either.

Ed watched them walk all the way out of the room and once they disappeared he raised a gloved hand and rubbed it over the lower half of his face, inhaling deeply and quietly, sifting through his mind to see if anything important felt recently rummaged through. Finding nothing of concern, he was just beginning to relax when he exhaled and saw his breath puff white, despite the lit fire place. Then he noticed that the room felt several degrees colder.

He glanced around to look at the people left in the room and he saw them all staring at him wide eyed and breathing out cloudy white puffs as well.

"Draco." Ed's eyes snapped to the man who was standing at the far end of the room, he'd entered with Voldemort and crazy Bellatrix earlier and he seemed very uneasy now, while being an obvious Malfoy with his long white hair and unhealthily skinny frame and pallor.

"Father?" Draco quickly looked from Ed to his father, the teen stood leaning against the table; wand clenched in hand.

"Don't you have work to do?" he asked testily while looking over Ed distastefully, he probably didn't like that Draco was so awestruck, and as if feeling his father's disdain all of a sudden, said teen quickly scowled, sparing Ed a look similar to his father's before he sat down again and hunched over his work.

Edward dismissed the exchange without a second thought, absently glancing over himself, making sure everything was still intact –because the images of the Gate always worried him- before training his eyes back on Draco's dad. Lucius appeared just as Blaise had implied; a dead eyed supporter of Voldemort. The man was cold-wired too, as he displayed when he turned his eyes to where Bellatrix still lay unconscious, smirking and clearly pleased by her current state. Then again, not a single person seemed interested in helping her. So maybe Lucius wasn't the biggest a-hole in the room.

 _'_ _Figures, no friends among thieves, or murderers in this case.'_ Ed thought wryly and was glad the room temperature was starting to regulate and become warm again. He put away his wand, rubbed his hands together twice quickly, glancing over at the rat face guy who had yet to stop staring, and before he could even consider sitting down, Voldemort returned with Snape just behind him.

And Snape, for all of his already ashen appearance, looked very subtly _paler_. Ed specifically took notice because the older man's reactions helped him keep pace with the atmosphere and possible, developing scenarios he was not immediately privy to. So he raised his guard again, arms loosely at his sides, feet shoulder length apart, although in his robes he looked to be standing normally which was good, it didn't give away any intentions in his posture…if any of them would even _know_ what to look for.

When Voldemort was a few feet away he smiled, all small serrated teeth and sly eyes,

"Severus has informed me of your intent here today, and I must say, after seeing you so seriously injure Bellatrix," he gestured to her unconscious form without actually looking, "without a moment's hesitation and with so much enjoyment, I would be very pleased to make a Death Eater of you; you are a true Slytherin after all." and shit, he sounded pretty damn sincere about it too.

Hearing snake-face describe his attack on Bellatrix as having expressed so much _enjoyment,_ Ed wondered again about the strange feelings he'd been experiencing lately whenever it came to his temper, there was such deep, _pleasant_ rage. He reminded himself abruptly to stay in the moment because he had to keep up his act, just waiting now for Voldemort to get to his point, and after a further beat of silence, the wizard went on,

"Your power is actually tangible…" Ed didn't know exactly what he meant by that, but he watched with internal disgust as Voldemort ran his darkened tongue over his teeth before his smile faded and he went on, "…Draco tells me you've befriended the mudblood girl?" he changed the subject abruptly and Snape paled just a tad more, all over again, but kept his gaze downward pointedly while Ed made sure to keep his expression neutral and flat.

"Isn't that right, young Draco?" Voldemort looked over at the rigid teenager hunched over his work, the boy trying very hard not to look at Ed directly as he looked wide eyed at Voldemort and nodded, prompting Voldemort to ask, "Her name again?"

"G-Granger, my Lord." Draco said quickly, accent muffling his words a bit.

Edward wasn't worried really, he knew there was an easy answer to this, he'd thought about it the second Snape had mentioned that Hermione would be endangered by their 'friendship', and then he'd thought it about it some more on the walk across Hogwarts school grounds right after. And as much as Ed didn't want to use it as an excuse, because the potential shit he might be stepping into was pretty deep, he saw no other way to keep her safe while continuing to be friends with her for the information he _personally_ needed to acquire in order to get home.

"Ah, yes, Granger." Voldemort said slowly and then looked expectantly at Edward.

Ed knew he had to use his idea in this play, there was no other way out of it,

"I can't get close to Potter himself because he doesn't trust a single Slytherin, and the red head is just an idiot." and he wasn't even lying, but still, he made sure to sound nasty about it, "Granger is the only one of the three of them who was accessible and knows _everything_ Potter gets up to," he said Hermione's last name with a bit of spite specifically, "and information can be more powerful than a full arsenal of weapons if used just right." he smirked for good measure at the last sentence, quoting Roy Mustang as he'd once heard it said, which Roy Mustang would never know.

Snape was staring at Ed now, slanted eyes narrower still. Ed ignored him, save for a brief disinterested glance.

Voldemort tilted his head again, curiosity peaked,

"And what information do you hope to acquire?"

Ed glanced around at all the eager listeners then, eyebrow half-cocked,

"Word is that Potter has messed up your plans many times over the past few years," he looked at snake-face again, expression bored, "I figured knowing what he was up to would be good strategy for the future." Ed shrugged.

 _'_ _Ooh, touched a nerve.'_ Ed thought as Voldemort's face tensed into a look of disgust and anger at his words, but Ed managed not to smile, too far in the game now to drop the ball. He just kept his face mostly apathetic, slightly bored and with an easy scowl, you know, like a villain might look on a day to day basis. Or Scar, actually, in general.

"Potter has been a problem in the past…" Voldemort smiled tightly, completely fake, and then turned to look around as well, "…but I have returned now and I intend to **deal** with Potter personally." when he said 'deal' it translated to Ed as 'kill', clear as day. Ed's mind started working over how he'd move forward if Voldemort told him to back off, how he would keep away from Hermione, and he figured he would have to put Mustang on to it _somehow_.

For right now though,

"So you want me to lay off?" Ed asked, again bringing all attention back to him.

He guessed everyone expected him to be more subdued, but Ed didn't do subdued, he usually did the subduing.

Voldemort seemed to think on it for a moment but then shrugged in a creepy way, because he was creepy,

"Information **is** useful, although it is curious and quite a strange thing that a Gryffindor is trusting a Slytherin."

Snape decided to speak then,

"I believe, My Lord…that she quite… _likes_ Elric."

Draco made a face, as did his father, and Voldemort looked amused,

"Ah, young love is it, a distinct weakness…" he laughed once sharply and then reached out and patted Ed's shoulder. Ed did his best not to sneer as he stared at the man –or snake chimera person as it were- who was a few inches taller than him, around Maes' height by Ed's estimation, "…and if you can exploit such weakness, then you absolutely **must**." and the bastard said it like it had been his idea.

Edward felt relieved though, he needed Hermione's help and it'd be easier to get it firsthand since he'd already established a connection with her, rather than having to hand his ideas over to Mustang. And as soon as they knew how many there were, and where to find all of the stupid bonded pieces of Voldemort's soul, Ed would screw this undercover act hard and fast and get rid of Voldemort and the Death Eaters so he could find a way home quick.

That was the plan.

He glanced at Voldemort's hand with open awkwardness when it moved down his left arm from his shoulder. He thought it was a tactic to set him on edge, but when the hand reached Ed's elbow his grip tightened and the wizard pulled up, directing Ed to raise his arm. He did so, not hesitating, because hesitation revealed weakness through uncertainty. He was frowning slightly deeper now though, not liking being touched by snake-face, or how silent it had become in the large room now, quiet aside from the crackling of the fire and an unidentified hissing noise.

Ed's robe sleeve fell back as he held his forearm up, and Voldemort's spindly fingers were still holding his elbow,

"You have impressed me," he began quite seriously, "you have exceeded my expectations and bested one of my finest with great ease. Young Edward, your mind is sharp and your confidence and abilities are rare in their validity." he smiled again and Ed's gloved fingers twitched. He really didn't like this guy touching him, even if it was through the layers of his jersey and shirt, "Taking into account all of these fine points, I have decided to bestow upon you the greatest honor for a Death Eater." and there had been an underlying sarcasm in the very last of his words, followed by a wider grin, his grip turning to a firmer clutch now at the top of Ed's forearm.

Voldemort then raised his other hand and pushed the sleeves of Ed's shirt and jersey up so his inner forearm was bared, and under the dim grey-white light Ed noticed that his veins looked far more noticeable as they protruded slightly, his pulse quickening just a bit at not knowing what was about to happen.

Edward worked his jaw and parted his lips to ask what the fuck Voldemort was doing as he saw the man reaching into his robes for what Ed assumed was his wand, but he held his tongue and glanced at Snape discreetly; the man didn't look worried, just stunned and uncertain, which didn't really help _at all_. Ed clenched his fist loosely, forcing himself not to pull away and just then there was a gasping sound and a rasped question of,

"Is he really worthy, My Lord?"

It was Bellatrix, Ed couldn't see her past Voldemort standing in front of him but she was the only injured person and a female besides, so her voice was telling.

"Yes." Voldemort said almost sternly as he held his wand up while still holding Ed's arm, and before Ed could get a word out, between one breath and the next, the tip of the white wood wand was pressed against his inner forearm. The teen's eyes widened then, his breath quickening when his skin started to burn very lightly where the wand touched him and black ink seeped into his skin from its tip. He clenched his teeth against the burn as it intensified, as well as against the panic rising in his chest; he didn't know why he was getting a tattoo but he **did not** like it, something about it felt…like it was a fucking trap.

But if he yanked his arm away, as he desperately wanted to do, he'd be rejecting an 'honor' and his cover would be blown. This plan was definitely turning out to be a shit-show very quickly.

Ed had both fists balled tightly as the entirety of the magical tattoo finished off, the burn dulling but not fading completely, leaving behind a dark black ink tattoo, half the size of his inner forearm. When it was done Voldemort dragged his cold, too-smooth thumb down over it and it burned a little worse for it, as if reacting to the man's touch and making Ed clench his jaw in silent fury, his stomach feeling heavy with instant dread for the tattoo. He suspected then that he'd just been branded and he did not like it. **One fucking bit**.

"Now you wear my mark," the son-of-a-bitch confirmed, "my loyal Death Eater." the dark wizard said sounding very pleased with himself as he relinquished his hold on Ed and turned to address the room, "Welcome him, he is one of us now." and he grinned as there was a collection of mumbles and nods in Ed's direction. Ed, stunned and furious, ran his gloved fingers over the black tattoo of a skull and a snake just barely before he roughly pulled his sleeves down and clenched his fist and jaw so tightly he heard his knuckles pop and his teeth click.

He glanced at Voldemort absently in his fury, but his contempt was quickly redirected when his eyes caught movement on the floor underneath the table, accompanied by a hiss, and as a giant snake slithered out, giving Ed an intelligent look, Ed just stared back as he felt it sinking in properly. He was Death Eater, officially, not just some guy running around acting as if he were something and falsely following a cult, he was marked…and tattoos were _permanent_ …and Mustang might notice…and if Ed still had it when he got **home** , Alphonse and Winry would see it.

But with Al and Winry he could write it off as a mark of war, like all of his others, an unwanted mark acquired during a mission, another story to tell. But if Mustang saw it, he'd get worried -probably pissed off too- and then he'd want to get involved. So Ed would have to be extra careful to avoid that happening, there'd be no rolling up his sleeves anymore.

 _'_ _Fucking bastard.'_ he really wanted to kill Voldemort or hit Snape right then, maybe even Draco too.

"My Lord, if that is all, we should be getting back to Hogwarts, the boy's absence will be noticed." Snape said dully but he looked a bit tense. Voldemort turned around from smiling at his minions and nodded, his hand extending to touch Draco's tense shoulder where the teen still sat at the table,

"Yes, take Draco with you as well. I believe he has completed the task I asked of him?" Voldemort looked at Draco, who stood up quickly, stiffly, and nodded. Voldemort nodded back and then Draco walked away without looking back, past Ed and down the stairs, not very subtle about the fact that he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Ed was far more in control of himself, and he only turned to leave when Snape did, descending the stairs beside the older man, not missing the feeling of eyes on his back and hearing the hiss of that damn snake. He knew he couldn't speak even as they left the mansion, seeing Draco striding ahead, the boy pulling out his wand to wordlessly open the large gate of the estate with a whip of his hand. Ed watched with a narrowed eye as Draco made it past the gate and then just disappeared with a twist into nothingness, obviously having apparated, and he glanced at Snape then, but the man very subtly shook his head to discourage talking even once they were outside the gate.

With a grimace Ed grabbed Snape's extended forearm and in a nauseating spin and flip they were back where they'd left from, standing in the heavy underbrush of the forbidden forest. It took a second to reorient himself, but Ed turned quickly, alert when he heard some rustling off to the side. Snape turned too and they both saw Draco walking toward them. Ed could only figure he'd popped up somewhere else, and could have gone on, but as students he guessed that returning to the school with a teacher would lessen suspicion, especially since Snape was the head of their house. Draco had either done this a bunch of times, or he just wasn't as stupid as he looked.

Annoyed more and more by the second, what with it being much colder in the woods at that time of night, Ed felt very close to hitting something. To stave off temptation, he stuffed his hands into his pockets, almost grateful for the robes serving as an extra layer of warmth, and he side-glanced at Snape,

"It's fucking freezing, let's go." he said shortly, and Draco stared at him for a few seconds before looking at Snape with a confused frown. The older man gave Ed a look of irritation for forgetting his 'place' when speaking to a teacher,

"Watch your language, El-ric." he reprimanded as was expected of him, and Ed knew it was for Draco's benefit.

He forced himself not to roll his eyes and then they all started walking toward the castle, crossing the clearing of the grounds and entering through the back end corridor just as they'd left. Silent the entire time.

Once they were back inside the castle's halls where it was dark and still chilly, Edward felt far more irritable, clenching his teeth together as their collective shoes scuffed unevenly while they walked in the direction of the dungeon level. There was no one around though, but just as Ed was, Draco was also wearing his general non-house specific school robes, so claiming that Snape had been doling out some punishment or detention would fly if anyone intercepted them. Although it wasn't likely since no one lurked in the dungeons besides Slytherins, the occasional prefect and the weird caretaker with his nasty little cat.

Once they reached the entrance to the Slytherin dorms Snape glanced at both Ed and Draco and then gestured with a flick of his hand for them to go. The second Draco turned to the entrance, scowling as he said the password, Snape gave Ed a significant look that was both angry and worried about the developments that had happened that night.

Ed agreed only with an exasperated blink, knowing they needed to talk about the tattoo and what it meant, and also whether Snape deserved to get punched for not warning Ed something like that could happen. For right then though, he just walked into the dorms after Draco and resigned himself to trying to get some sleep.

It was blissfully warm in the dorm's common-room as he walked further in, the fire burning high and strong. It was also quiet and empty and…and Draco was standing at the fireplace and staring at him, all pale skin, rake thin body and blue eyes wide and cautious,

"How did you do that?" he asked quietly, glancing around as if to double check that they were alone.

Ed stopped walking halfway through the room and he frowned at Draco,

"Do what?"

"The curse…" he half sneered, half whispered, walking closer so he could talk quieter, "…the one you used on **her** , the one she tried to disarm and it didn't even manage to _slow_ your curse." he was a few feet away now and Ed noticed how drawn and stressed he looked when up close.

Hands still in his pockets, Ed blinked and glanced around to keep from rolling his eyes, knowing Draco was referring to Bellatrix. But he couldn't say ' _oh it was because it was alchemy, not magic, and I'm a certified badass'_ , because that wasn't an option, so as he was wont to do, he went for the arrogant routine,

"She just wasn't tough enough." he shrugged, settling a bored gaze on the other blonde teen.

"What?" Draco hissed in a low whisper, "How dare you speak of my aunt that way!" he gave Ed a once over that didn't really hold much bravado, so much as knee-jerk indignation.

Ed raised an eyebrow, storing away the bit of information about Draco being related to Bellatrix for later, and immediately realizing that insanity was probably genetic in the Malfoy family, based on _that_ fact alone. Then again, Bellatrix had dark hair, like the woman he'd seen Draco with in Diagon Alley -the one with half blonde, half black hair-, more than likely his mother, so maybe the madness…was on the Le Strange side?

He had to try very hard not to laugh at how that last name complimented Bellatrix so well, but of course, Bellatrix Le Cuckoo would have worked well too.

Not in the mood to deal with the other teen at the moment, Ed just returned Draco's once over with a warning glare tacked on at the end, because even with the few inches in height that Draco had on him, there was no question of which one of them was intimidated and would get their ass kicked. Confirming it without even realizing, Draco's adam's apple bobbed on a swallow when he saw the look Ed leveled him with,

"I don't give a shit who she is to you, I went there for one reason and I got what I wanted." he made sure to sound pleased with himself, like Envy always did when he was being evil –which was all the time- and he gestured to his left forearm where the tattoo was dully burning, "If you have a problem, suck it up." he finished, and then turned and walked away.

He was only a few feet away when Draco spoke quietly,

"I have it too." was all he said, but it didn't sound like he was bragging and when Ed turned to look at him he was staring at his forearm, rubbing his palm over his sleeve where Ed assumed the tattoo was.

His grim expression and posture told Ed a lot, specifically that Draco wasn't thrilled to be an 'honored' Death Eater, and by how unwell he was looking, the role was taking a toll on him. Figuring out why Draco had decided to tell him about it was another matter though; was it because he wanted Ed to know he wasn't the only teenager who'd been 'honored', or was it because he was letting Ed know they were on the same team? And which team would that be for Draco? And then there was the far less likely scenario of whether Draco, by his miserable demeanor, was showing Ed a glimpse of what life as a Death Eater was really like.

Ed pursed his lips and reached back to run a gloved hand over his ponytail absently as he looked over Draco slowly, not fazed by the boy's misery for whatever reason it was suddenly obviously displayed to him, because Ed wasn't really a Death Eater at heart and it didn't matter either way, he was on a mission, so he and Draco didn't have anything in common at all.

Deciding that, he didn't end up responding and turned again, walking his way to the staircase and heading down to their dorm room to sleep.

* * *

Sunday morning at Hogwarts was quieter somehow, since he'd woken up –at the crack of fucking dawn to shower, clean up and dress warm- Ed had been wandering the mostly empty halls of the school, familiarizing himself with everything while simultaneously avoiding Mustang and Snape. He'd had a good long look at the tattoo on his arm while he'd been alone in the showers and it'd got him thinking that he needed to strategize. It had always usually been Al's job when they'd been a team, but he was on his own now, technically, and he had to come up with a plan to keep everything from getting out of hand.

Most of all, he had to figure out a way to be a convincing Death Eater while doing so…although Voldemort had seemed to believe his act, so it couldn't have been so bad.

He sighed tiredly, mind constantly working through all the complicated angles as he leaned on one of the stone ledges between the pillars of the colonnade surrounding the quad, huffing out a puffy white breath when he felt a headache building behind his eyes. Thinking about how tired he was and his lack of sleep, he realized he'd barely had a chance to rest before he and Mustang had been sucked into the magic world, so it was a wonder he wasn't sleeping far more. He'd often had trouble sleeping in the past, but that had been because of nightmares, which he wasn't having recently and had usually been the only thing that could keep him up.

He was lost in thought, absently rubbing his right gloved hand over his left forearm because he felt constantly aware of it, of the dull throb and heat under his skin -like he couldn't ever completely forget he had it-, when he heard low conversation from around the corner from where he was standing.

He caught the word ' _Draco'_ and decided it might be worth eavesdropping, so he jumped over the ledge into the open quad side and crouched down behind the wall, leaning back against the wall so he was hidden from view as he heard the footsteps scuff closer in the walkway.

"Ee' should atleas' tell us what he's up to in there since he's asking us fer' help." a familiar voice complained quietly.

"Les' just do what he says, I don' wanna ask too many questions." another familiar voice said as they walked by where Ed was crouching down on the other side of the wall.

"Why? Because you think whatever it is, is' doing it fer' you know who?"

There was no verbal response but they'd walked by too far anyway, so Ed stood up and leaned over the ledge to see Crabbe and Goyle walking on down the hall. Ed narrowed his eyes thoughtfully before he decided to follow them, they were both idiots and he knew he could tail them easily and maybe he'd find out just where 'in there' was and, eventually, what Draco was hiding from his cronies.

It was suspicious in and of itself really, Crabbe and Goyle being out and about on a Sunday when they could be lazing around. He managed to follow them easily all the way to the sixth floor at which time they went into the girl's lavatory. Ed frowned, wondering just how stupid they were, but he wasn't going to interfere by going in after them unless he heard a scream or something from a girl, although he doubted anyone was in there. So he waited further down the hall, hidden behind the edge of one of the large wall protruding pillars.

Ten minutes later, two girls emerged and Ed nearly didn't give them a second glance, until he noticed how one of them walked funny and kept pulling on the uniform skirt. And that's when his suspicion peaked; because why would two girls who appeared to be first years, be in a sixth floor bathroom dressed in school robes on a Sunday?

 _'_ _There's that potion that changes peoples physical appearances…like what Envy was capable of, except the potion's effect isn't controllable and it's time limited.'_ Ed's brain helpfully supplied as he recalled the **_Poly Juice_** potion effect. He started following the girls then, as he was now certain they were Crabbe and Goyle.

They went further upstairs and all the way to a corner of the castle where they came to stop in the corridor and one of them huffed and leaned against the wall,

"I really hate this."

"I hope we're not late, he'll be mad if he came out and we weren't ere'." the other girl disguise said and she/he leaned against the wall too.

Ed glanced around from where he was hiding and then leaned out of possible sight again, there had been no doors or windows for Draco to come out of where Crabbe and Goyle were situated. So whatever they were talking about was probably not visible. That was interesting. Edward contemplated waiting around to see what happened, but he'd already wasted too much of his morning walking around the school and he needed to find Hermione and ask her about muggle books on science.

Draco wasn't really important, after all, they were on the same side in essence and whatever he was up to likely had something to do with whatever tasks Voldemort gave him, like the one to kill Dumbledore. And as long as Snape was aware of Draco's intentions Ed was confident he would not be kept in the dark, and so in turn, neither would Ed.

Having decided he had better things to do, Ed glanced at the pair again to make sure they weren't looking his way and then he made his way back down the corridor, keeping close to the wall until he was completely out of sight before he descended the stairs quickly, intent on finding Hermione.

* * *

 _Next Chapter - Ed's smile doesn't go unnoticed and Harry, Ron and Hermione are still at odds..._


	15. Quīndecim

**\- Once again, sorry for the long wait!**  
 **-I'd like to remind readers that I am writing from the movie and book, so if a few details contradict one or the other, please understand.**  
 **-This chapter is not beta'd, all mistakes are mine :)**  
 **-And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, commented and is supporting this story! I hope you'll continue to enjoy and leave me your thoughts!**

* * *

 **Buried deep with your guilt and regrets. Leading in the dark, everything is wonderful.**

* * *

Roy smirked to himself as he paged through a particularly interesting section of the Potions book he'd been deriving his lesson plan from. While being a school teacher was tedious and not nearly as esteemed as being a Colonel –and dammit, he had been going to be **promoted** even higher up before they'd ended up in magic land- it had its perks.

Like finding a potion that was called _Felix Felicis_ , or better termed; **Liquid Luck.** There was no way a potion like that wouldn't come in handy, especially if its listed affects were accurate. If he and Ed took some of the potion, then they were guaranteed to get results in trying to find a way home.

The Colonel's smirk faded to a frown though, when he saw the complicated process to make it, but even that was fine, he was a scientist and so was Ed, _especially_ Ed, they could brew it together no problem. It was the fact that it took _6 months_ to brew to completion that was going to be a hindrance.

 _'_ _I could still make it, in case no other leads come up by that time then at least we'll have this to fall back on_.' he thought as he closed the book and glanced around his office.

The days had been strange and it almost felt like he was on some kind of surreal vacation, or in a weird dream. Being surrounded by magic and wizards and witches, having witnessed how magic flouted the rules and laws of alchemy and science, it was all so crazy when Roy really thought about it.

Once again he wondered how Ed was coping with the lack of balance, reasoning and equivalence, since the teen hadn't looked so great when Roy had seen him in his last few classes. Although, that said, Ed seemed to be doing a great job of fitting in at least, which would make it easier to stay under the radar and out of the war presently brewing in the magic world. Roy gripped the potions book surely then and left his office, intent on making his way down to the potions class to start brewing the liquid luck potion…but he didn't get farther than the second floor when he ran into Minerva.

She'd been ascending the stairs; fully school robed with the only exception being the lack of a pointed hat, while Roy was wearing a comfortable, previously alchemized, dark blue suit with a matching vest, a white shirt and a white scarf around his neck, all of which was under a black coat, because the weather was cold.

Minerva seemed momentarily stunned by his appearance, pleasantly stunned though, since she blinked a few times with raised eyebrows and an impressed expression before meeting his eyes again.

"Good morning, Minerva." he smiled in his charming way and her eyebrows quickly came down as she recomposed herself,

"Good Morning, Roy. You seem to be dressed to go out, are you going to Hogsmeade perhaps?" she asked in her very distinctive accent as she folded her hands over one another in front of her and looked up at him with her head tipped back slightly. Mustang quickly deduced that Hogsmeade was likely a place nearby and made a mental note to go there and see what he could find; maybe another odd book shop.

"No, actually I was heading to my lab-uh-classroom," he had to correct himself, despite 'lab' just making more sense in his head, "I have a potion I wanted to start working on for future classes." he smiled in his disarming way, hoping to deter any further questioning.

Minerva smiled and then gave him a look that suggested she liked what she heard but wasn't going to let that stop her from her own plans,

"That's excellent, your students are very lucky, however," she paused and cocked her head with all the certainty of a stern teacher, "I was on my way to find you just now." she informed.

Mustang raised his eyebrows,

"Oh, was there something you needed?" he hated to ask, but it was polite to do so and he **had** to be polite.

"Yes, actually, Rolanda had to leave the school grounds on some personal business and so unfortunately, she is not going to be present to monitor the Quidditch tryouts," a brief pause to let that sink in," which start today." she finished neutrally.

Roy didn't say anything, because he knew, and she knew he knew, what she was about to ask him, and he didn't want her to, but she went on anyway,

"She mentioned that she spoke at length to you, and that you caught onto the game play and rules very quickly, and seeing as how I am unable to supervise myself, I was hoping you would stand in." she didn't even phrase it like a question.

 _'_ _Dammit, why did I have to let on that I understood that stupid sport?'_ he thought irritably, having read about it in a book before he'd arrived at Hogwarts and then having had conversed about it to be nice and seem interested.

Sometimes laying it on thick came back to bite him in the ass, because he had so many more important things to do but he couldn't decline, it was bad form as someone undercover and trying to blend in.

"Of course, I'd be happy to help." he said evenly and she smiled,

"Oh, wonderful, they should be gathering on the Quidditch field in about a half hour, if you cou-…" she cut herself off when someone was heard coming down the stairs behind Mustang.

Heavy steps, quick steps, and noticeably uneven in footfalls if you were familiar with the gait, which Roy was.

"Mister Elric." she said the words with a few of her sizing-up blinks as Edward stopped just a step up and a few feet from where they stood, and when Roy turned to look at him he couldn't help frowning.

Ed looked _sickly_ , much fairer, his eyes holding a shade of darkness from a continued lack of sleep, and in all of his black clothes –coat, shirt, pants and boots- he looked harsh and unwell in the overcast light of the high windowed stairwell.

Like most of the Slytherin did, which, while it was fitting to Ed's cover, was disconcerting in every other way.

"Yeah?" he asked as he glanced between the two of them.

If Minerva was annoyed by Ed's casual tone she didn't show it,

"I was just in the Great Hall, Professor Snape is looking for you, he says he assigned you a homework task and he'll be assigning you detention if you do not bring it to him immediately." she looked like she thought Snape took himself too seriously, which he did pretty much, Roy could agree.

Edward just looked annoyed and huffed out a sigh, glancing between them again,

"Yeah, I'll go see him." he said in a tone that Roy recognized as noncommittal and more than likely to not happen.

"Good, now, Professor Mustang, if you will." she was looking at him again and gesturing down the stairs with a tight smile.

Roy blinked and nodded,

"Right, yes, uh, Edward…" he turned to the blonde who had looked about to carry on down the stairs in a hurry, which was also disconcerting because the only time Ed ever tried to rush away from him was when he was hiding something, "…could you take this book to my classroom, just leave it on my desk." he requested while specifically holding his thumb in the book on the page where the spell was.

The pointless request wouldn't go unnoticed by Ed, Roy knew, and when he took the book Roy was proved right because Ed slotted his fingers into the separated space before holding the book at his side,

"Yeah, sure." he said with a flash of a fake smile and then went on down the stairs and disappeared down the next flight.

When Roy looked back to Minerva she looked surprised,

"He smiled at you." she pointed out. Roy just blinked, expression politely flat,

"Yes, I suppose he did," even if it had been fake, "is there some significance in that?"

"Well…" Minerva began walking up the stairs, holding her long robes up slightly so she didn't step on them, "…I've not seen him smile and I don't think any other professor has either, so there might just be." she glanced back at him with a huff and then continued on up the stairs.

Roy watched her ascend and then deflated into irritation once she was out of sight, not pleased with his new task and certainly not finding anything significant about Ed giving him a half-arsed attempt at a smile. He'd seen Ed _really_ smile; a basic smile was pleasant and endearing and his full smile was a day-maker. Although that particular smile was always directed at Alphonse and possibly the young Miss Rockbell, but of course, no one in that world would know any of that.

With a grumble and roll of his eyes, he continued down the stairs so he could make his way to the Quidditch pitch.

* * *

Edward placed the Potions book down on Mustang's classroom desk, opened to the page the older man had specifically handed it to him on, marked by his fingers.

He raised an eyebrow as he read through the _Felix Felicis_ potion, it was definitely interesting and would be useful, but the time it would take to make was pretty damn long, especially since he wanted to get home as soon as possible. He didn't doubt Mustang wanted the same thing, so this potion was probably some kind of a backup.

Mustang did always have a backup plan for his backup plan.

Running his tongue over the edges of his teeth, Ed glanced around the classroom, thinking of the fact that McGonagall had been with Mustang on the stairs, and then the fact that the older man had asked him to bring the book to the classroom even if it had seemed unnecessary, which meant there was probably a reason for it…and having gauged the time period the potion needed to be made, Ed made a calculated guess.

"The old bat probably interfered with his plans." he mused as he pulled his gloves off, "Guess I'll get it started." he decided, muttering to himself.

* * *

He really didn't want to see Snape, not yet anyway and some time working with chemistry was always relaxing.

"Where you been, mate?" Blaise asked somewhat loudly near Ed's ear as he slung an arm over the blonde's shoulders, "You missed Marika Pomous getting inna' chick fight with Brumhilda Esterblat over some second yer' bloke they both fancy, right in the middle of the hall outside the library. It was brutal, mate…" he sounded delighted, "…they can't throw a fist worth shit, but they were pulling hair and screeching at each oth-…"

"You say that as if you can throw a fist worth shit." Ed jibed with a half-grin as he shrugged the taller boy off.

Blaise raised his arms and narrowed his eyes as they walked,

"Don' I look tough, Ed?" he asked with a wide grin and then made loose fists in front of his chest, getting the attention of the few people walking in the halls near the Great Hall, "I'll bet I could take you in a fight, yea'?"

Ed raised an eyebrow when Blaise lightly punched his shoulder, moving around the blonde in what was supposed to be an imitation of some fighting stance.

"Not on your best day, Blaise." Ed informed him blandly, barely glancing at the other teen.

"Oh yea'?!" Blaise said with a grin and made a quick movement, trying to catch Ed around his neck with his arm, in the way Ed used to do as a kid to give Al noogies. But he **really** had no chance in hell of getting that right. Ed ducked down quickly so Blaise's arm went over his head, and when the taller boy had overshot his mark, Ed was a step behind him so he grabbed Blaise's attacking arm and twisted it far up behind his back quickly and tightly, the taller teen quickly arching his back awkwardly as he groaned at the tension and pain now in his arm and shoulder.

"Ow! Damn, leggo' mate!" Blaise complained as Ed held him firmly in place. He considered kicking the back of the teen's knee to put him on his knees, but that would be going beyond friendly play. Although, why he even had the urge to humiliate Blaise in front of the few passing –and amused- students, Ed had no idea. That was unlike him.

He let Blaise go after a few distracted seconds, and he hadn't been restraining his arm hard enough to really hurt, just to make his point with what would be a lingering dull ache.

He grinned when Blaise turned to look at him, the taller teen half smiling, half annoyed,

"Don't look at me like that, you asked for it." Ed snickered, grinning as he walked around Blaise, "Now come on, I'm hungry." he said firmly and waved for the Blaise to follow him.

Blaise did fall into step with him after a few seconds, grumbling about how his shoulder was sore, and Ed, mind focused on getting food, didn't notice Ron and Harry standing further down the hall, having watched the spectacle.

* * *

"Bloody hell, ees' a right git, idnee?" Ron said with a scowl just as he and Harry continued walking down the hall after Ed and Blaise had gone around the corner,

"I'll say, he even orders his friends around." Harry agreed, straightening his glasses on his face as he shook his head. Ron was nodding,

"Just like bloody Malfoy, I swear they av' to be related; blonde, mean and both in Slytherin. Pfft." he shook his head as well.

They had just returned from watching and sorting out the first of the Quidditch tryouts, they'd only gotten through the second and third years so far and Harry had been surprised to see Professor Mustang on the pitch, keeping everyone in order and inline while Harry and the other house captains sorted through the newbies.

"Besides that," Harry lowered his voice as they approached the first of many moving staircases, "it's worrying that they're both so advanced in magic." he glanced around as they ascended. Ron was frowning, worried now too. "Before Elric came along, Malfoy was second in every class after Hermione and I've heard he can perform magic that we haven't even learned yet."

"Just like Hermione and Elric." Ron was nodding.

They stopped walking when the staircase they were on starting to move.

"Exactly, except Malfoy and Elric are both Slytherin, and can you _imagine_ if they're both working for Voldemort."

"Yeah…but Malfoy is right scared of you, Harry." Ron seemed to find that the best way to look the situation.

"More importantly," Ron and Harry jumped and turned around at the same time, grabbing the banisters on either side when they nearly fell on the staircase in surprise, "Malfoy isn't good with practical application of magic, making him quite useless in a serious duel or a battle." Hermione finished with an exasperated look on her face.

They hadn't even known she was behind them, let alone on the same staircase. When the stairs came to a stop she walked up past them and Ron let out a breath and frowned, looking distressed quite suddenly,

"Bloody hell, Hermione, why doya' always have to sneak up on us like that?" he complained.

She 'humphed' and ascended the next staircase,

"The two of you really should be more aware of your surroundings if you're going to gossip like two teenage girls." she said over her shoulder and Ron made a face at her.

Harry watched her walking away and then sighed,

"Hermione, wait." he rushed to catch up to her before the stairs moved again, Ron following quickly. Harry stepped up next to her and Ron stopped on her opposite side,

"If you heard us talking then you know what we think of how dangerous Elric could be."

"Yea' and ees' a lot like Malfoy, we just saw him bullying and bossing Blaise Zambini about outside the Great Hall." Ron exaggerated a bit and Harry gave him a look.

Hermione frowned,

"Bullying? How was he _bullying_ Blaise Zambini?" she gave Ron a sarcastic amount of interest.

Ron pouted, cheeks getting red in irritation at her disbelief in his words,

"Well-…"

"That's not important, Hermione." Harry cut the red head off before he and Hermione could get into another argument, "You said Malfoy isn't good enough in a fight to be a threat, but what about Elric?" he said pointedly as they finally reached the Gryffindor painting. Hermione was still frowning when Harry continued, "He disarmed you in class, **you** Hermione, you're the best, you have been since our first year." he stressed.

Hermione's brow stayed tense, she was pouting a bit as she usually did when she was upset, and after a small shake of her head, she said the password to get the painting to swing open, opting not to say anything else.

As they walked in though, Ron piped up,

"So imagine that then, if he is evil, which he _probably_ is, he's also got our best witch wrapped round his finger an-… **ow**!" Ron shouted, wincing when Hermione hit his shoulder hard with the books she'd been carrying,

"I am **not** wrapped around anyone's finger!" she said indignantly, and Ron frowned at her,

"Oh, yeah? Then why are you making googly eyes at him in Potions class while he talks all smart, completely ignoring the fact that he's a Slytherin and he's _friends_ with Malfoy?" Ron just could not stop putting his foot in it and Harry just rolled his eyes at the pair, sighing when they came to a stop inside the common room.

The large room was mostly empty, but they were talking in relatively hushed tones anyway, and currently Hermione was seething quietly, having one of her moments where she was so mad she couldn't get the words out, so Harry intervened,

"Ron, come on, stop it." he said calmly, patting the air with his hand once absently before looking at Hermione again, "I-… _we_ don't want to upset you, Hermione, but you have to consider that he's possibly just like Malfoy." he looked at her imploringly.

She turned on Harry, moisture in her eyes now for how angry she was,

"Who we still don't know actually has anything to do with the Death Eaters and," she lowered her voice even further, "Voldemort, so before you start accusing people, maybe **you** should give them a chance."

Ron, having looked at Harry awkwardly at the mention of Malfoy, since really, they didn't know if he was actually a Death Eater or anything like that, didn't have anything to add, and it made Harry huff out a bitter laugh,

"You honestly think, that after all this time and everything we've been through, that I would accuse Malfoy of anything if I didn't really think it was possible?" he looked from Hermione's uncertain frown to Ron's awkward expression and then shook his head, "Fine, whatever." and then he walked away, heading further into the room and then upstairs two at a time, ignoring a greeting from a fellow Gryffindor on their way down.

Ron sighed,

"Well-…"

" **Don't** talk to me." Hermione cut him off abruptly, still furious at his words about googly eyes and being wrapped around someone's finger, and she walked away as well, clutching her books to her chest and just wanting to be left alone with her thoughts.

Ron pulled his face at her reaction to him, and when he noticed a few students were looking at him in confusion and amusement, since Hermione had said that last bit aloud, he smiled awkwardly and shrugged,

"Heh, girls."

* * *

Edward managed to get through Sunday without having to have any long-winded conversations with Snape or any interrogative ones with Mustang, and when Monday morning rolled around, he climbed out of bed extra early and made sure he was finished showering and getting ready for his day by the time Blaise was only starting to shift around under his sheets and Draco was only just patting his hair down from its disorderly state as he sat on the side of his bed. Nott was still asleep by the time Ed left the Slytherin dorms and made his way to the Great Hall with a half hour to spare before breakfast.

The early breakfast crowd was in the hall, so no more than fifty students were scattered around the massive space and Ed easily spotted Hermione, sitting with the Weasley girl and another familiar blonde, the one who seemed like she might be high on some substance or other most of the time, Luna.

He walked to the Slytherin table uninterrupted and sat down away from everyone else, but when Pansy waved at him he nodded at her in acknowledgement, hoping she wouldn't come over and make any pesky conversation because of it. He had a lot on his mind; primarily, worries over being able to conceal his new tattoo from Mustang, since the Colonel was perceptive and observant and the damn mark seemed to burn slightly every few minutes.

He could only hope the older man wouldn't notice.

He at least had four periods and a recess before he had to deal with Mustang watching him in a small classroom, but Snape was his second period and the man would no doubt be pissed that Ed had been avoiding him and would probably hold him back after class. He sighed as he poured himself some coffee, reverting his thoughts to what was and should have been the most important thing from the beginning…getting home to Alphonse.

Somehow he'd been getting too caught up in the magic and the power, and because he'd showed off how 'powerful' he was as a 'wizard', he'd drawn attention to himself, the wrong attention, and it was making his situation far stickier than it would have been otherwise.

 _'_ _Nothing new there…'_ he thought with some bitter amusement.

He'd been drawing the wrong attention to himself since he'd been a little boy, first the military because of his -and Alphonse's- alchemic abilities having been so impressive, news of it having made it all the way out to East HQ, and then once he was in the military it had been the Homunculi who had wanted him as a sacrifice. Now Voldemort, an evil wizard with genocide on his fucking bucket list, was interested in him, wanting Ed to join in on his evil vendetta.

And it was _never_ simple to get out of the trouble he landed himself in.

He'd had to join the damn military to find a way to get Al's body back, he'd had to fight tooth and nail to survive the Homunculi and their ridiculously advantageous semi-immortal, inhuman abilities and strength. And now he couldn't just kill Voldemort because the bastard wouldn't just die, while many others would.

Ed stared at the food when it appeared on the table before him, suddenly not hungry anymore.

He let out a short sigh just when he noticed movement up front and he glanced to the teachers table, seeing Mustang was just sitting down. Their eyes met briefly before Ed looked away, his gaze falling on a basket of rolls. He reached out, picked one up and then stood, choosing to forego breakfast –which was a big deal for him, if he'd only take a moment to notice-, and then he left the Great Hall. He walked down the grand staircase and out into the entrance courtyard of the school. It was empty and cold and he stood at a random spot in the open area and bit into the roll, chewing distractedly as the dark mark burned lightly on his forearm, hidden beneath the layers of his clothing.

He narrowed his eyes at the ground as he wondered how Alphonse would feel about what he was doing. It was technically the right thing to do, he was helping, but his means to helping were less than savory. He took another bite out of the roll, chewing more harshly as he thought of how he'd struck Bellatrix with his alchemy and how he'd felt satisfied and thrilled by the sound of her hitting the floor and skidding.

He shut his eyes tightly then, his bangs whipping softly around his face from the windy weather and when he swallowed his mouthful and reopened his eyes, he found himself staring up at the sky.

He had a horrible task ahead but it was time to face it. He had to deal with Mustang and keep him out of as much of the shit storm as possible, and he had to finally work up the guts to find out what the mark on his arm really meant for him in terms of being a Death Eater, and also, he had to find out what the next step would be in the plan with Snape.

Most importantly though, he had to get his hands on muggle books about the world he was currently in and try to find out what inter-dimensional travel actually was, if there was anything to learn from those texts. He also wanted to know more about space and the universe he'd so recently discovered he was able to see into with a telescope. The information would be interesting, sure, but also hopefully useful, because Ed figured if he was never able to figure out the symbols on the array that had landed him and the Colonel in the magic world, then at least he might be able to find another way home. There was always another way, right?

Ed hated uncertainty, and he hated hope too. He'd spent his entire life living with it…and now he had to live with it for a little while longer. He just had to get his mind right first, like he had when he'd decided to join the military.

 _'_ _I_ _ **have**_ _to do this. I_ _ **can**_ _do this. I_ _ **will**_ _do this…and I won't kill anybody to do it.'_

He sniffed at the cold creeping into his sinuses and looked at the bread in his hand before he started breaking it up and crumbling it in his gloved hands. He threw it over the courtyard ground and glanced around at the few birds perched on the walls. He smiled slightly, thinking of how Alphonse had always fed left over bread to the birds whenever he could.

 _'_ _I miss you, Al. I will get home…I'm gonna get out of this shit alive.'_

With that final thought Ed decided to spend his morning before his Ancient Runes class in the library, because every free minute he could use to research, he would…just like old times.

* * *

Hermione closed her notebook and glanced around the DADA classroom, there were only a few minutes left and she'd completed writing all of her notes on their non-verbal spells revision. She'd honestly expected Snape to be more of a slave driver when it came to class and homework, but he seemed distracted and had just given them notes on the chalkboard with lots of revision and reading references which they were to do as homework; easy stuff really. For her at least…

Gauging the expressions of her peers, she found they all looked put out by the amount of writing and reading they had to do. Ron was frowning as he glanced between the chalkboard and his notebook, writing furiously to get it all down before the class period ended, while Harry copied Ron's notes –with some squinting- because it was slightly more readable for him than Snape's small cursive writing on the blackboard.

Harry had been distant from her since their last disagreement about Draco being a Death Eater, but at least they were still talking. She wasn't talking to Ron at all though, and she felt she was justified because of the nasty things he'd been saying to her that had to do with Edward.

Ah yes, Edward. He was a subject she'd spent much time thinking on since their brief but flattering and sweet conversation they'd had the Saturday past. She'd never looked at her muggle born situation quite like he had described it, but while it had been really nice to hear those things, what she had felt most happy about was realizing that he truly didn't think she was a 'mudblood' or inferior to anyone, despite being a Slytherin.

And that mattered, because she was actually starting to really like him… _like,_ like him, and she suspected and hoped he liked her too.

Trying not to be too obvious about it, even though most of the students were focused on taking notes, Hermione glanced over at the group of Slytherins sitting to the left of the class near the front of the last row. Edward was sitting beside Blaise, who he seemed to spend a fair amount of his time with, so she guessed they were probably good friends. She didn't really have an opinion on Blaise Zambini, except the usual Slytherin opinion, which surmised that he was a jerk by default. She'd also heard that he was a snob; the only people he associated with generally were certain high end Slytherins. But she had to admit, especially as she watched Blaise pause in his writing to lean over and say something to Ed with a grin on his face, she had never seen him get along with other Slytherins the way he did with Ed.

She watched as the blonde, gold-eyed teen cracked a smile at whatever Blaise had said and they both glanced at the backs of Crabbe and Goyle's heads where the other two sat in front of them. It made her wonder what was different about Ed that made Blaise behave differently, so that instead of walking around scowling all the time, he actually seemed to genuinely get along with Ed and have fun. Surely that meant Ed was a nice guy, easy to get along with? He certainly seemed it whenever he spoke to her.

Of course, that excluded his very serious offer to punch Harry and Ron, as well as his scarred knuckles which, if he had been honest when he explained the scars, meant that he was often in a lot of fights. That could very well mean he **was** violent…and Ron had said Ed had bullied Blaise, although some how she just couldn't picture it.

She sighed quietly as she kept glancing over, watching discreetly as Ed took down notes with a bored expression on his face. And she was nerdishly impressed when he shifted in his seat, realigned his writing material, swapped the quill from his right to his left hand and then continued to write without missing a beat as he flexed the fingers of his right gloved hand absently, resting his wrist on his thigh.

Hermione's eyes wandered down over his hand and leg to his scuffed boots –which were not uniform regulation mind you-, remembering the leather pants he'd been wearing the last time she saw him; it had honestly been the strangest and yet…sexiest, thing she'd ever seen a guy wear. It certainly beat Dockers or loose jeans. Then again, Ed was unlike any boy she'd ever met or come across, he had an intense air about him, an atypical confidence for a teenager, a personality of latent ego and guile mixed with rectitude and maturity that didn't match his handsome, boyish face and yet did agree with the complexity and intelligence in his eyes. He was quite the anomaly.

She was brought out of her musings suddenly, when Snape's voice shattered the doldrums of the class,

"Class dismissed, I ex-pect…all reading homework done by tomorrow." the professor announced as he trailed his eyes over the class and Hermione noticed his gaze settle on someone, "El-ric, remain behind, I wish…to have a word with you." he said in his usual drawl.

She glanced over at Ed as all of the students were standing up and gathering their stuff and she was surprised to see him shut his eyes briefly and scowl for a second before he grabbed his books up and stood. She didn't mean to stare, but the way he brushed his ponytail over his shoulder before he leaned against his desk to wait for the class to empty was just so… **sure**. Anyone else who ever got asked to wait behind by Snape was usually nervous, but Ed just seemed irritated and inconvenienced.

She was caught out staring when Ed looked up from his crossed ankles and his gaze met hers. She blushed predictably, which frustrated her, but when he smiled subtly at her she felt less like a fool and smiled back while she quickly gathered her books into her arms. She was embarrassed though when she finally stood up to leave and glanced at Snape, only to see him give her a knowing and exasperated look before he raised an eyebrow and gestured for her to leave.

Which she did with a renewed blush and much annoyance at her own obvious behavior.

* * *

 _Next Chapter - Ed and Snape have a heated conversation, Roy is increasingly displeased by Ed's behaviour and we find out how Amorentia smells!_


	16. Sēdecim

**\- Next!**  
 **\- I'd like to remind readers that I am writing from the movie and book, so if a few details contradict one or the other, please understand.**  
 **\- This chapter is not beta'd, all mistakes are mine :)**  
 **\- And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, commented and is supporting this story! I hope you'll continue to enjoy and leave me your thoughts!**

* * *

 **You can break in vain, but you can't break away.**

* * *

"Having Granger so flustered over you is not…something to be smiling about, Elric." Snape drawled once Hermione was out of the door, having shut it behind her.

Edward had watched her leave with hurried strides, her flat school shoes tapping noisily in the empty classroom and her robe flailing behind her along with her long, brown curls. He was smiling because she'd been blushing nose and ears that time when he'd caught her watching him and most likely worse because Snape had as well.

Ed turned to look at the professor when the older man spoke and he sighed and shrugged,

"You don't think it's cute when she turns red like that?" he asked distractedly and rhetorically, but Snape answered anyway,

"I most certainly **do not**." he said sternly as he walked toward Ed from where he was standing by his desk.

Ed snorted at Snape's answer because he hadn't been really asking,

"That's good actually, it'd make you a total creep if you did." he commented while leaning against the desk, arms folded over his books against his chest and ankles crossed, the picture of calm when really he was tense and had been all morning.

Snape didn't see through his pretense though, not like Mustang always did. Dammit, the Colonel could read Ed like an open book which was why he was so tense about going to Potions class.

"You are in a very good mood, considering what transpired…recently." Snape stopped a few feet away and folded his robed arms over his chest before he glanced around the empty classroom, as if there was anyone else there to hear him.

Ed looked over the tall man with a sweep of his gaze, maintaining his air of unconcern as he refocused his eyes on the far wall of the class,

"Which part?" he asked quietly, "The part where I knocked big bad Bellatrix out in ten seconds flat…" he smirked, "…or the part where I got permanently branded by snake face?" Ed couldn't help sneering as he said the last part and he turned his severe gaze on Snape, jaw clenched tight.

The older man was tense now, his annoyed gaze and narrowed eyes looking down his hooked nose at Ed,

"I did not expect him to do that." Snape said quietly but he sounded sincere, about as much as he could with his droll apathy ever present, "The possibility of him bestowing the dark mark upon you had…never occurred to me." Snape went on quietly, his gaze drifting to stare at Ed's arms, "I can only think that he did it to keep you close, in case-…"

"He doesn't trust me." Ed interrupted and Snape looked at him, "That much was obvious." he finished when Snape just stared at him. It had been fairly obvious from the way Voldemort had looked at him so guardedly.

"He doesn't explicitly trust anyone…" Snape said after a beat of silence, "…but yes, in a sense, I assume he gave you the mark as a…test of sorts. He was likely expecting that either you would give yourself away by re…jecting the mark, or you would accept it and he would have you as a Death Eater, where he can both use and keep…his eye on you." he finished quietly, eyes still on Ed, "Your power…unsettled him." Snape admitted.

Edward didn't need to be told that, he'd seen it himself, Voldemort didn't really have a good poker face for all of his bad guy-ness. Ed gave Snape a look that said 'I told you so' before he pushed off the desk and placed his books down on it,

"So, the tattoo is some kind of a magical tracking device?" he forced himself to ask, deciding it was time to find out what he'd gotten himself into.

Snape looked as though Ed's arrogance annoyed him but he didn't say anything about it, instead he remained standing tensely as he exhaled slowly,

"It's much more than just a…" he blinked slowly and his lips curled down at the corners, "…magical tracking device." Ed raised an eyebrow expectantly and Snape continued, "It serves as a way for the Dark Lord to summon you, it will burn quite severely when he does and you must go to his side as quickly as possible in such an event."

Edward clenched his jaw, looking away from Snape and exhaling harshly as he balled his left hand into a fist and glared at his covered forearm, the idea of being summoned like some _dog_ just pissed him off. It had annoyed him as a soldier but that hadn't been like it was now. In the military he'd had a schedule to keep, specific check-in days, briefs and debriefs, meetings, reports, an annual alchemy evaluation…but never a tag, never something so crude that it showed some sort of twisted physical possession over him.

It made him sick to his stomach to have it on his arm.

He heard Snape shift,

"Furthermore, it will also allow you to signal him should he instruct a need for you to do so. It permits us to cross his cursed barrier where others cannot…and finally, it's a mark to symbolize that you are a part of his inner circle as well as your loyalty to him. Should we be found with these marks by…the ministry…we will be sent to Azkaban."

Edward was _seething_ , it was as he'd suspected but hearing it made it real,

"Fucking…loyalty…" he ground out, his anger rising so much faster than it usually did. But he forced himself to calm down because when it was all over, he'd get rid of the mark with alchemy. In the magic world it'd be a synch to remove the disgusting brand.

Edward blinked slowly and absently gripped his left forearm, rubbing his thumb over the tattoo as it burned slightly. He'd always thought he found the military's methods of lording over their soldiers frustrating, but it was nothing compared to what he was dealing with now,

"You should have warned me." Ed mumbled before he looked at Snape again.

The older man shook his head slightly,

"He has **never** so easily brought someone into his inner circle, those who bear the mark have always been the people he allowed closest to him, after years of working for him. This should **not** have happened." he said fluently.

"But it **did**." Ed snapped at him in a harsh whisper, "Now the bastard can just say jump and I have to ask how fucking high whenever he wants. I was just supposed to take myself off his radar by convincing him I'm a bad guy." he reminded the older man.

Snape pulled his face, irate now, he stepped closer, voice low and harsh when he spoke,

"I am aware of that, but it was not **I** who made you _show off_ , Elric, that was your mis-take." he snapped quietly, it was the first time Ed actually saw him look so upset and frown so deeply, he wasn't usually so expressive, "You were just supposed to show him you were competent, pre-tend to be dedicated to him, demonstrate the bare minimum necessary to show him your abilities but in-stead you took out Bella and I have **no** **idea** what you showed him in your head…but what-ever it was, it made him **very** wary of you." he finished and turned away from Ed sharply, pacing a few times and pressing his fingers into his eyes.

Ed took his cue from Snape's tense behavior that something about being marked and brought into the inner circle meant something bad, or worse rather. So he decided to diffuse the hostility between them because they had to work together to get through this,

"Okay…so I over did it…" he admitted and Snape glanced at him irritably at the understatement and Ed just half rolled his eyes, "…whatever, I can't go back and undo it alright, so get the fuck over it." he snapped, also irritable and Snape paused in his pacing to glare at Edward, who was unfazed by the look, "Just tell me what it really means, cause it means something, right? Or you wouldn't be having a god damned cow." he pointed out as he placed his hands on his hips beneath his uniform robe.

Snape looked like he wanted to strangle Ed for a second, before he also visibly made himself calm down,

"It means, you arrogant brat," Ed glared at him, "that the tasks he will set for you will not be menial, it **means** you will witness his worst cruelties and he will ask things of you that you explicitly said you would not do."

Edward's eyes widened before they narrowed sharply,

"I won't kill anyone." he said harshly, voice consistently low to keep from being overheard.

Snape stepped closer because beyond the doors they could now hear the chatter of students, who were waiting to be let into the classroom,

"Well, I certainly hope you can find a way around it…" he paused, giving Edward his first glimpse of true emotion, pain of loss and horror reflecting in his face, "…because I was **never** able to and people **will** die."

They stared at each other for long seconds then as Ed let the words sink in, words that didn't say much but revealed many things all the same. People would die…and Edward would both witness and be present for it, and he may be asked to do it.

He averted his gaze, jaw clenched so tightly it hurt, and he repeated quietly,

"Whatever I have to endure, I will, but I will **not** take an innocent person's life." and he meant it, he'd seen some of the worst crimes ever imagined, he'd seen more death than any person should in their lifetime. He would deal with whatever he had to, everything but committing murder.

Snape turned and walked away from him, stopping and leaning over at his desk. Ed watched him write something down with a shaking hand, clearly affected by their current circumstances and Ed assumed he knew why Snape was so stressed out. When the professor walked back to him and held out a written note to excuse him for being late to his next class, Edward decided to set the man at ease, as much as he could.

He'd seen Mustang get like Snape currently was, and it had taken a while but eventually the Colonel had learned that Edward could take care of himself. He looked Snape in the eye as the man held the note out to him with a lightly shaking hand before he took it. When Snape moved to walk past him, Ed reached out and grabbed his forearm. Snape seemed alarmed at being touched, especially since Ed's grip was not hesitant and when the older man looked him in the eye again, Ed made sure the older man would see how serious he was,

"You don't have to worry about me…" he clenched his jaw once before he confessed, "…I may have never killed an innocent person before, but I have killed." he said it very quietly and he watched Snape's eyes widen and felt the man tense under his hand, "I'm **not** a child, Snape, and you are **not** responsible for me or my actions…only I am." Edward punctuated his words with a severe look, so Snape would not think he was trying to placate him.

The older man's mouth fell open as though he might say something but Ed didn't wait to hear whatever questions he had, he released his grip and turned to pick up his books before he walked away from the older man down the aisle. He wrenched the door open, silencing the loudly chatting students when they all looked at him and then they gave him a wide berth as he strode away in the direction of his Herbology class.

* * *

Edward avoided eye contact with Mustang from the second he stepped into the classroom and he knew it wasn't the smartest move because the Colonel would take his behavior as suspicious. But he did anyway, keeping his attention during the class on not rubbing his left forearm –because for fucks sake the mark would not stop the mild itchy burning- and on Hermione as they completed the second and final phase of making _Amortentia_.

The brunette was staring at the small jar of fluttering and idle lady bugs. She held it between her palms looking between the jar and the steaming cauldron filled with various ingredients, some of which were logical in terms of their chemicals and others just not making any sense to Ed, but they were all supposed to make up the most powerful _infatuation_ potion, including the lady bugs, which were apparently lucky for love.

"What are you waiting for?" Ed asked quietly as he drummed his left hand fingers on the desk lightly.

Hermione glanced at him,

"Well, the recipe says 20 lady bugs, but how do we get them all in…" she glanced around and Ed followed her gaze to see many lady bugs flying around while the students tried to recapture them.

"Well-…"

"You can't." Hermione said quietly before he could finish and Ed raised an eyebrow, so she leaned closer and whispered, "You can't use alchemy again, it's cheating." she frowned slightly.

Ed exhaled quietly and whispered back,

"I was going to point out that the recipe doesn't say they have to be alive." he pointed to the directions in the text book with a gloved finger and Hermione read it and kept frowning,

"But it doesn't say dead lady bugs either." she mumbled.

Edward wondered when his life had come down to deciding whether to kill lady bugs or not.

"How else would you get all twenty in?" he asked in a bored tone and she looked at him.

"One by one." she suggested with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"How would you take them out of the jar one by one?" Ed leaned his cheek in the palm of his hand, elbow on the desk top as he regarded her with an amused look.

"With…my hand…or, or tweezers." she was frowning now.

"How will you keep any from flying away when you open the top?"

"Okay, okay…" she huffed, glancing at him with defeat and a small smile, "…we'll have to kill them."

Ed sat up and reached for the jar, his fingers brushing hers as he took it from her, he placed it in front of him and peeled his right glove off before he placed his palm flat over the top tightly, sealing off the few small holes punctured into the top.

"Did you catch them yourself?" Ed smiled as he asked, to distract her from him suffocating the insects and the fact that he was using subtle –and slow- alchemy to remove the oxygen, or else they'd never finish the potion in time.

Hermione, sufficiently distracted by him, nodded without thinking and then shook her head,

"Well, not really caught…there wasn't much effort involved. They're common in winter you know," she tucked her hair behind her ear, eyes moving from the cauldron to Ed's face, "and Professor Sprout allows all the sixth years into the gardens to collect lady bugs." she smiled and leaned her elbows on the desk like Ed had his, except his one hand was on the stout jar top.

They both glanced over as a student tried to catch another run away lady bug and Hermione laughed quietly because several other students were doing the same. Ed noticed that Harry and Luna seemed to have figured something else out too, and he vaguely wondered what it was because the textbook was really unhelpful.

"Were you in trouble earlier?" Hermione asked then and when he turned his attention back to her, she quickly clarified, "With Professor Snape, I mean." she fiddled with the pages of her notebook. Ed raised his eyebrows and shrugged,

"Yeah, I was supposed to turn in some homework from last week." he used Snape's excuse for wanting to see him on Sunday via McGonagall."

"Oh, have you got detention?" she asked sympathetically.

Edward shook his head,

"No, just twice the work."

"Really?" she seemed surprised by his lie, "Perhaps he favors you, Snape usually loves giving detention, even to Slytherins." she smiled, speaking in the slightly breathy way Ed had come to notice she often did.

He glanced at the jar, noticing a few of the lady bugs were starting to move sluggishly,

"I wanted to ask you something." he changed the subject in his unsubtle way, not wanting to try and explain why Snape wasn't doling out punishment to him.

Hermione looked oddly nervous for a second before she smiled awkwardly,

"Yes?" she responded softly.

He blinked from her to the ladybugs, realizing how his statement could be misinterpreted between them. He smiled at her, hoping he wouldn't be letting her down too much,

"I was wondering if whether, when you go shopping for regula- uh, muggle books, if you wouldn't mind picking up a few books for me?"

She didn't seem disappointed and Ed remembered that books were something she loved, so he couldn't lose any points by asking her about them.

Although, when he'd started hoping to score points with her he didn't know.

"Of course I wouldn't mind…" she smiled brightly, touching her hand to his _left_ wrist lightly and Ed tightened his other hand over the jar lid, "…would that be more books on chemistry because I was hoping to get a few anyway, remember I mentioned it?"

He raised his eyebrows, remembering that she had asked him about books on chemistry in the courtyard,

"Uh, yeah, I remember." he looked at the lady bugs, many of them had stopped moving, "I don't need any, but with chemistry books you can't really go wrong though, so whatever you decide to buy should be fine as long as you start reading on a level you understand." he answered honestly, because with science you had to start at the beginning always for any of it to make sense. She nodded, her hand lingering on his wrist and he couldn't tell if she was aware of it or not,

"Alright, I'll be sure of that, but what books did you want then?"

"Books on physics, space, in depth astronomy…and uh, space travel, inter-dimensional travel."

She blinked a few times and then frowned with a half-smile as she flipped to the back of her note book,

"Astrophysics, astronomy, space exploration and inter-dimensional travel." she wrote each one down, "I have some books at home on muggle astronomy and space exploration, I can find the others in a book store…" she trailed off and looked at him.

Ed was quite happy it had been so easy to get her to agree but when she frowned at him again he wondered why,

"What?" he asked quietly.

She laughed lightly,

"I know you said you don't know much of anything about the muggle world, so I just want to ask if you know that inter-dimensional travel is fiction?" she said in a tone he supposed was meant to be gentle.

Ed hadn't known that, and shit, it wasn't real.

She must have read his expression because she explained,

"It's a hypothesis really, scientists have always wanted to make it possible, but no one has yet and it doesn't look likely to happen either…" she fidgeted with the quill in her hands, "…at least not in our generation." she laughed once awkwardly.

Edward mulled that over for a second, thinking of how backwards magic people were in terms of their _own_ magic and wondering if maybe non-magic people were also just not able to really see their potential, so he shrugged facially,

"Thanks for telling me, but I still wouldn't mind reading up on it, if it's alright with you getting those books?" he smiled at her for good measure, in the way that usually made Winry bake him a pie if he asked her.

It worked wonders because Hermione blushed and nodded agreeably,

"Yes, of course, it's just fine…"

They both heard a mutter of 'bloody hell' and glanced over to see Ron shaking his head in their direction with a look of disdain on his face. Ed watched as Hermione's mood shifted to something between annoyed and sad and he chose that moment to raise the jar, popping the lid off,

"Final ingredient, ready." he announced between them and overturned the jar of dead ladybugs into the cauldron, hitting the bottom of the jar to get the few remaining clingers into the hot bubbling liquid.

It still kind of surprised Ed when potions proved magical, it took only a few seconds and stirs from Hermione for the liquid to change from an off yellow shade to an iridescent color with a distinctive spiraling steam slowly streaming out of the liquid.

Hermione huffed out a happy laugh,

"It's perfect, just as the book describes." she bounced on her feet once to look into the cauldron before looking back to the book, she then looked at Ed who just smiled blandly because he didn't care if it had turned orange, it was all the same to him, he just had to do it for appearances.

Ed glanced over to the other tables and he saw that Mustang was doing rounds. The older man didn't seem to be in a good mood; Ed recognized the tense line of his shoulders, his jaw and the telltale sign of his hands held tightly behind his back. He readied himself to deal with the Colonel's subtle anger, he was familiar enough with it to know that it could be really discomforting, no matter how indirect and discreet.

A couple of kids were snickering about something, usually after Mustang asked them a question about the potion. He didn't look amused himself though. When Mustang finally reached their table he didn't look at Ed but the blonde felt the disapproval radiating off the older man. Hermione picked up on it too because she started to fidget with her hands.

The Colonel looked into the cauldron, sniffed it and nodded,

"Very good…" he said in an apathetic voice and then looked at Hermione, "…what do you smell, Hermione?" he asked her and she hesitated for a second before standing up and sniffing the cauldron,

"Oh…" she blinked and sat back down slowly, "…freshly grown grass, new parchment, spearmint toothpaste and…" she blinked again, as if just realizing something, "…leath...er…" she said the last one very quietly and it seemed no one besides Ed and Mustang heard her.

Edward experienced a bit of a flip in his stomach because she'd glanced at him when she said the last word, and he knew from reading about _Amortentia_ that whatever it smelled like to each person was unique to their likes. He wondered then if he really smelled like leather, he'd never had anyone to ask how he smelled but he'd always assumed it would be of machine oil.

He was suddenly reminded about the up keep of his automail just when Mustang turned his dark blue eyes onto him and Ed was now fully under the disapproving gaze, more so after the older man had heard what Hermione had said she smelled. After all, he was famous for wearing leather and the Colonel knew that,

"What do you smell, Elric?" he asked in a clipped tone and Ed felt it, when Roy said Elric that time it didn't sound like an act, it sounded harsh and impersonal.

He was really mad that Ed was so blatantly avoiding him.

Edward stood up and leaned over the cauldron to sniff the liquid, blinking a few times at the assault of familiar scents, and he noticed how closely Hermione watched him,

"Metal, ozone, machine oil…" he smiled unable to help it, "…and apple pie."

"Weirdo…" Ron could again be heard mumbling and Hermione looked at him sharply,

"Ron." she scolded.

Ed was staring at Mustang and they both ignored Ron because the mention of ozone and apple pie was familiar for both of them, alchemy and home, because whether it was Winry or Gracia baking that pie, it was family for both of them. Edward was tempted to ask what Roy smelled, but he didn't get a chance to because the older man moved on after nodding at them,

"Pass." he said quietly before he walked over to Ron and Lavender's desk.

Edward stared at the potion for a moment, thinking over each smell and what it meant to him…Alphonse, alchemy, Winry and home. Magic was definitely something to be able to pick his comfort smells out of a random liquid concoction.

He was still smiling to himself when he noticed Hermione looking at him and he raised his eyebrows, so she hesitantly spoke, quietly, Ed supposed to keep her rude friends from overhearing,

"Machine oil is a very muggle thing, you know, it's not something anyone here is very familiar with, if at all." she informed him, probably by way of explanation for Ron's reaction. And probably also because Ed had said he hadn't known much about the muggle world, Ed didn't know how to explain it so he just shrugged,

"Guess I am a weirdo." he said indifferently and smiled at her.

She smiled back for whatever reason and he returned to his thoughts about missing home.

* * *

Roy didn't like the way Ed was behaving, it was the way the teen usually acted when he'd done something he wasn't supposed to and was hoping to keep it from his CO for as long as possible. Usually it entailed some state property, like a god damned building, being destroyed in the wake of Fullmetal's 'duty' to his country. But other times it was that he was hiding something more serious, like when he'd tried to keep secret the information he had learned about the true way to make a Philosopher's Stone, or when he'd gone off to Lab 5 without telling anyone and nearly been killed…all things he hadn't bothered to just _discuss_ with Roy first.

It was frustrating, especially since all Roy ever tried to do was help Ed where he could, and so what if it was a mutually beneficial arrangement in the long run? For all the flack Roy caught from the top brass for cleaning up Edward's messes, it really didn't balance out for the Colonel. No matter how much Fullmetal was helping his career by being the damn near best –if not the best in various fields- and youngest military Major and State Alchemist in history, he gave Roy more headaches than it sometimes felt like it was worth.

And it seemed like for all of Edward's hard knocks and astute smarts, the teen still hadn't learned that Roy was _always_ on his side and would _always_ do his best to help him. It had only been a little over a week since being at Hogwarts and it already felt like he was losing Ed in the chaos of the magic world, his only tie to his sanity and reality.

Shit.

He repressed a sigh as a female Ravenclaw student described the _Amortentia_ potion as smelling like vanilla, talcum powder, citrus and sweet tea. The potion itself was remarkable magic, considering it manifested everyone's individually liked smells so uniquely, when Roy had made the potion himself he'd been pleasantly surprised by what he'd smelled.

"Pass." he mumbled to the Ravenclaw pair before he moved on to the Slytherins tables.

He stopped at Draco Malfoy's desk; Roy had quickly come to realize the boy was misery that loathed company, which was interesting since it was usually misery that loved company. But Draco seemed to despise having to work with a partner and Roy had never seen the teenager do anything even remotely like a smile with his face. Somehow Draco had gotten paired up with clingy Ms. Parkinson and the girl seemed to adore him, always trying to talk to him or touching his arm or hands…and of course Draco always gave her annoyed looks.

Draco was currently staring at him with his annoyed expression as Roy looked into his and Pansy's cauldron, it was just about the right color and when Roy sniffed it and got hints of the result he'd smelled in his own perfectly brewed batch, he evaluated it as half passed,

"What do you smell, Draco?" he asked as he had done and intended to do with all the students, using it as a method to determine an accurate pass by whether it smelled specifically different to each student.

The boy looked uncomfortable but he stood up after a beat and inhaled the spiraling smoke once sharply. There was a second in which Roy noticed he look surprised before he smothered the reaction and wrinkled his nose, giving the Colonel a look that said he didn't want to divulge the information.

Roy repressed another sigh,

"I only need you to tell me one scent." he compromised and Draco glanced at Pansy and then the other eavesdropping Slytherins and then back at Roy, even more defiantly, "I require it to pass you on the potion." the older man said as evenly as he could, trying not to get annoyed.

The teen averted his gaze, a very easily readable lying tell,

"Smoke." he said flatly and Roy stared at him for a few seconds longer before deciding to skip over Draco for now, he didn't know why, but he found himself honestly interested in knowing what the teen smelled that made him so uncomfortable. For the moment though, he needed to get through the other students before the period was up so he looked to Pansy,

"And you, Pansy?" he asked her with a quirk of his eyebrow and she smiled slightly before she leaned in and sniffed the potion,

"Rain, strawberries…um…" she now also seemed uncomfortable with going on and Roy realized the Slytherins were probably all going to behave that way, probably to save face of being tough in front of their peers.

Well, he'd only needed one, so Roy nodded at her, mumbling the word 'pass'. He then spared a glance at Draco, noticing absently and not for the first time, how the teen fidgeted by rubbing his hand over his left forearm at intermittent intervals in a way Roy deemed to be an unconscious action, before he moved on.

He suffered through three more Slytherin pairs who hesitantly told him a single scent they each noted in the potions, and a fourth Slytherin pair had a concoction that could not even pass on a twenty percent, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were careening like experts towards a fail for the first term…and probably the year.

Roy reached Edward and Hermione's table and avoided looking at Ed as the teen had been doing to him all period, he felt he needed to be able to mask his irritation for Fullmetal a bit better before he looked at the boy, although from the way Hermione shrunk back in her seat, he supposed he wasn't doing a very good job.

He sniffed their potion and wasn't surprised to find his unique scents were exceptionally easy to define, meaning the quality of the potion was high grade and probably excellent as he'd always expected from Ed…and Hermione since being a professor at Hogwarts, the girl was really smart.

"Very good…" he said as he looked at Hermione, who never failed to look relieved and pleased when she was graded well, "…what do you smell, Hermione?" he posed the question he'd asked everyone so far. As with every student she seemed hesitant but like the good student she was, she stood up and sniffed the potion without too much delay,

"Oh…" she looked both awkward and pleasantly surprised as she sat back down, "…freshly grown grass, new parchment, spearmint toothpaste and…" she trailed off and he expected her not to finish and Roy was willing to let her but then she mumbled, "…leather." before she cleared her throat quietly and glanced at Ed.

Ah, that was not good. If she could identify the smell of leather on Ed –which for some reason tended to cling to the teen as much as the tangy scent of metal and machine oil did- it meant she'd been paying close enough attention, or been physically close enough, to Fullmetal to notice it. Roy himself only knew the scent of Edward because they'd been working together for years and in a few instances the scents were hard not to notice. Much the same way Ed had once admitted he could smell Roy coming from a mile away because of how much of his vanilla and amber cologne he wore, which had been a pretty accurate and specific description of Roy's cologne.

But Hermione had only known Ed for little more than a week, so her knowing how he smelled meant they were getting pretty familiar, pretty fast.

Not for the first time, Roy wondered just what the hell Edward was thinking lately.

He turned his gaze on Ed then and the teen looked at him as he always did when he was doing something wrong, guilty but defiant,

"What do you smell, Elric?" Roy asked curtly and he noticed a subtle wince in Ed's expression at the cold tone and use of his last name.

At least Ed didn't hesitate to take a whiff of the potion and the pleasantly surprised expression on his face piqued Roy's curiosity, especially when Ed looked at him with a subtle sadness in his gaze,

"…metal, ozone, machine oil and apple pie." he was smiling slightly as he listed his scents.

Roy felt a pang of home sick longing when he heard Ed's list, knowing the teen well enough to be able to discern what each scent represented. He and Ed were having a moment of shared empathy when Ron Weasley just audibly called Ed a 'weirdo'. Roy expected Ed to react but the blonde teen didn't even spare the redhead a glance and instead just averted his gaze from Roy's while Hermione scolded her friend disapprovingly with a sharp statement of his name.

Roy just nodded to her when she looked back to him,

"Pass." he said quietly, feeling hollowness in his stomach as he moved onto Ron and Lavender's table.

He sniffed the pairs cauldron and asked what they'd smelled, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of Ed's answer and how similar it had been to his own.

Roy had smelled pure sulfur, gun powder, cigarette smoke, aged whiskey and…Gracia's house. Individually he identified the smells as being his fire alchemy, his office at HQ, his most loved drink and home, because Gracia's house was the last place Roy had eaten a home cooked meal before the Promised Day had come.

He moved on after Lavender and Ron had answered his question, giving them a pass that suited the quality of their batch respectively, he didn't have too many students and was easily able to memorize the grades he wanted to give them. Finally he came to Harry and Luna and Roy had just barely leaned in to sniff their potion batch when Luna spoke, babbling off a list of things she apparently smelled that Roy had never heard of or read about, all said in her wistful voice and he ended up just nodding at her with a slow blink before he looked at Harry and raised an eyebrow.

Roy didn't have anything against Harry per say, it just annoyed him that the bespectacled teen seemed to antagonize Edward, which was just not a good idea. Also, Harry seemed to have a sense of entitlement about him, Roy noticed, from the way he treated the Slytherins in general, as though he was their judge and jury, or at least wanted to be. Not that the Slytherins didn't appear to loathe him equally, but whatever the spat between them was, Roy just didn't want Ed getting involved, although it might already be too late to stop it, depending on whatever Ed was hiding.

Harry had sniffed the cauldron once and then again before he shifted from foot to foot,

"Ah, I smell treacle tart…a broomstick handle and…the burrow." he finished with a glance at the redhead, Ron and then to Hermione, but his slight smile faded when his eyes fell on Hermione and Roy glanced over to find she was talking to Ed about something in hushed tones.

When he turned to look at Harry again, the boy seemed to realize how obvious his irritation was and he nodded at Roy stiffly, eyes averted,

"That's all I smell, professor." he half mumbled.

Roy repressed yet another sigh before he gave them a pass and walked back to the front of the class as he spoke,

"You've all passed with the exception of Vincent and Gregory, you two will sit at the front of the class in the next lesson and reattempt to concoct _Amortentia_ ," they groaned together as Roy leaned against his desk, crossing his legs at his ankles and folding his arms across his chest, "The rest of you will move on to an essay on analyzing _Polyjuice Potion_." he cast his eyes over the class and noticed Hermione watching him with a thoughtful expression, but he didn't read too much into it, noticing that Ed's attention was on the table top, "Class dismissed."

He watched as the students started to shuffle and gather their things before he added,

"Draco and Edward, remain behind." he watched their reactions carefully and found it more than slightly interesting.

Draco had looked at Ed with a nervous yet questioning expression while Ed had clenched his jaw and looked like he wanted to punch a hole through his desk. Then when Ed had stood up and seen Draco's questioning look, he'd given Draco a short but definitive 'what the hell' look and then quickly glanced at Roy.

The Colonel could usually read Ed like an open book, but he couldn't figure out if the 'what the hell…' look had been a pre statement of '…are you looking at me for?' or '…stop being so obvious.'

The entire exchange was peculiar and after Ed's look Draco's scowl eased back on to his face and he picked up his books before he walked to the front of the class to stand before Roy, keeping a good distance like he just couldn't wait to leave. Edward took a bit longer to pick up his books and come forward, he seemed to be purposely hanging back, so Roy addressed Draco in the meantime,

"I need you to tell me just one," he raised his index finger before re-crossing his arms over his chest with the other again, "scent you smelled in the potion."

"I told you." Draco said stiffly, clenching his books at his left side, obviously fighting the urge to glance at Ed when the other blonde finally came forward with a lazy stride.

"You lied." Roy said flatly, "Which you don't seem to be particularly good at." he pointed out and as expected Draco seemed to squirm, giving in to his urge to glance at Ed as he absently scratched at his left forearm and then shifted his books in his grip, plainly fidgeting.

Roy noted how Ed avoided looking at Draco but then he rolled his eyes when the taller blonde started fidgeting, they could both tell Draco Malfoy was an amateur at the art of concealment, the teen had no clue about keeping his nervous ticks and lying tells in check, whereas Ed looked to be the picture of calm indifference, just as Roy did.

After all, whether Ed would ever admit it, Roy had taught him how to be an excellent soldier.

But the fact that Draco had something so obvious he was trying to hide and kept looking at Ed made Roy concerned, because it meant the nervous blonde's secret had something to do with Ed.

"So…" Roy said after a moment of Draco's fidgeting passed, "…if you don't answer me honestly, I'll give you a thirty percent grade." which wasn't a pass and Roy expected it'd be threat enough to get the teen to divulge, but Draco surprised him,

"S'fine, I don't care." he shrugged irritably, glanced between Roy and Ed with a scowl and then he turned and walked out in quick long strides.

They both watched him go, Ed looking just slightly amused,

"What's going on with you?" Roy asked without hesitation the second Draco was out of sight.

Edward looked at him and frowned, all of his guards visibly going up which made Roy suppress another sigh because that meant he'd get _nothing_ out of the teen,

"Nothing, I'm just tired for fucks sake." Ed said in a reasonable tone, not yelling, which made Roy think maybe he could still get Ed to talk to him, but if he wanted results he had to avoid antagonizing the teen,

"We should talk soon, I've found a few more books that cover magical symbols, but I can't remember the exact ones from the array, but you do, right?" Roy said, glancing at the open door to watch for the first of his next class of students.

Edward shrugged,

"Yeah, fine, tomorrow I'll give you a reason to give me detention…" he said quietly, also glancing at the door and looking as tired as he claimed to be.

Roy had a lot more to say to Ed but between classes wasn't the best time, so he decided to leave it until the next day. He pushed off the desk and stepped closer to Ed before he reached inside his robe and into his pants pocket. Roy took out a slim, palm sized phial and held it out to the blonde teen, who looked at him with a frown but didn't hesitate to take it,

"What's this?" he asked quietly, looking from the phial to Roy's face.

"It's a sleeping draught, I've been using it and it's helped me." he explained and he watched as Edward raised his eyebrows, "All you need is two drops in a glass of water, that's how I take it, it's the perfect dose for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep and there are no after effects. But it's instantaneous so take it only once you're actually in bed."

Edward closed his gloved hand around the phial before he reached into his robe to pocket it,

"Is it wise to be drugging ourselves to sleep in this place?" he mumbled with his eyebrow still cocked.

"Not any less wise than losing sleep and impairing our cognitive and physical abilities in this place." Roy responded with a raised eyebrow right back.

If Ed was going to respond Roy didn't get to hear it because the class of third years started to filter in, casting curious glances to the Colonel and Ed. He just nodded at the teen and Ed nodded back before the blonde turned and walked out of the classroom.

Roy watched him walk away for a few seconds before turning his attention to his next class, annoyed at the fact that he'd fallen into a familiar rhythm with his students already. Because the magic world wasn't home and it shouldn't have been feeling comfortable.

* * *

 _Next Chapter : Hermione and Snape both do some curious thinking, Harry visits Dumbledore and Ed and Mustang finally get some talking done!_


	17. Septendecim

**\- As stated, next chapter of Circulus is here!**

 **-I'd like to remind readers that I am writing from the movie and book, so if a few details contradict one or the other, please understand.**  
 **\- This chapter is not beta'd, all mistakes are mine :)**  
 **\- And finally, thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, commented and is supporting this story! I hope you'll continue to enjoy and leave me your thoughts!**

* * *

 **All the power of the Wyld that runs through me, yet the reason why is an answer that eludes me**

* * *

Hermione was sitting several feet from Harry and Ron at dinner that night, poking her fork into her meal as she pondered over the day's events, or more specifically, the day's events that had included Ed.

A few things had happened that day that made her curious about the blonde teen who she was steadily developing a crush for. One of the things had been the smells that he'd noted in the potion which, besides the apple pie, none had sounded particularly pleasant, and yet he'd been smiling so fondly and almost forlornly about it.

It made her stomach knot up just a bit, having not been able to figure out if any of those smells could have reminded him of a girl he liked, just as the smell of leather had made her think of him immediately.

Of course, whatever those smells represented for him was personal and so she would never ask him, no matter how curious she was.

Hermione hadn't even realized she'd recognized the smell of leather on him from their first potions class together, he hadn't even been wearing leather then and yet the smell had been present, only after she'd seen him actually wearing the pants had she been able to put the two together and identify it.

In addition to the odd things Edward had said he smelled, she'd noticed how Professor Mustang had seemed strangely interested in the things Ed had listed and it had been weird how they'd stared each other down for a few seconds before the professor had moved on.

It had piqued her curiosity further when she'd watched the Professor prop himself against his desk a few minutes later, in the exact same stance she'd seen Ed in just earlier that day in Snape's class.

It wasn't a significant observation though, standing in such a similar way could be a common coincidence, except that after noticing that coincidence, Hermione couldn't help noticing that Ed and the professor had similar accents. Neither were English accents, that much had been obvious to begin with, but while the Professor spoke more formally than Ed did, their vernacular and enunciations were just about the same.

It sounded distinctly western, most likely American.

Surely that was too much of a coincidence? A new teacher and a new student, both American, arriving at Hogwarts in the same year.

 _'_ _I'd heard that Professor Mustang used to be a private magic tutor…and also that Ed was homeschooled.'_ she tried to work it out in her head, and it made sense that perhaps Mustang had been Ed's private tutor at some point, except, _'Why would they act as if they don't know one another?'_

She huffed quietly as she put a forkful of spaghetti into her mouth and glanced around, seeing Luna and Ginny approaching her. Luna was one of the few students at Hogwarts who spent a fair amount of her time sitting at a house table that wasn't her own, she was impervious to the social awkwardness doing so brought upon other people.

Hermione herself didn't feel comfortable enough to sit at another house table, especially the Slytherin table, which she only thought about at all because of Ed. She snuck a quick glance across the hall, past the Hufflepuff table, to search for Ed among the Slytherins. She spotted Theodore Nott and then Blaise before she saw Ed, who was eating while listening to whatever his friends were saying with a look of boredom on his face.

She quickly brought her attention back to Luna when the girl sat down beside her, Ginny sitting on the other side of Luna,

"Hello, Hermione, you look troubled." Luna pointed out in her ever-dazed yet straightforward manner and Hermione brought her hand to her mouth when she nearly choked on her spaghetti as she swallowed. She laughed awkwardly once she swallowed, ignoring Ginny who knowingly glanced across the hall to the Slytherin table,

"Do I really?" she asked redundantly and shook her head, reaching for her pumpkin juice, "I didn't realize." mumbling before she took a sip.

"Are you thinking about Edward?" Luna did it again and Ginny actually giggled that time.

Hermione looked momentarily horrified and blushed before she deflated and pushed her plate away, her hands resting on the table as she looked at her friends.

"Is it **that** obvious?" she had to know.

"That you like him?" Luna enquired.

"Yes." Ginny answered right after, grinning as she reached for some food.

Hermione closed her eyes and put a hand on her hot face as Luna went on,

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, he's unusually attractive as well as suspiciously ominous, an enticing combination."

"Luna." Hermione mumbled in embarrassment, placing her other hand on her face as well.

"She's right though, handsome, dark and mysterious." Ginny whispered with a grin.

"His aura reminds me of the veil." Luna said distantly while staring across to the Slytherin table.

"I saw him leave Professor Snape's class late this morning, was he in trouble?" Ginny asked Hermione, ignoring Luna's last strange statement as people often did when they thought she was talking nonsense.

Hermione leaned closer as Ginny was doing, both talking past Luna in between them,

"He said that he had homework to turn in and he hadn't done it, but then Professor Mustang held him back after Potions as well." she informed the redhead, having found that to be another curious thing, along with the fact that Draco Malfoy had been held back as well.

"Do you suppose there's a specific reason for it?" Ginny frowned before she ate a mouthful of food.

"He wasn't held back after any other classes, so I don't know." Hermione sighed and glanced over at Ed before catching herself and covering her forehead with her hand as she focused back on Ginny…and Luna, the latter was looking at the food curiously as she dished some out for herself.

"-elling you it's too convenient." Harry's voice could be heard rising slightly as he spoke to Ron.

Hermione looked over at them along with Luna and Ginny, Ron looked uncertain as he often did recently when Harry brought up one specific subject,

"Mate, professors hold back students after classes all the time, it doesn't mean anything." Ron said back.

"First Snape and then Mustang, holding those particular Slytherins back?" Harry asked, speaking quietly as he leaned forward more to speak quieter to Ron across from him.

"So what, now you think Mustang is a Death Eater too, all four of em'?" Ron shook his head, his expression giving away how ridiculous he thought Harry was being, "Honestly mate, you're being _really_ paranoid."

Harry narrowed his eyes, glancing over and seeing the three girls watching him before he clenched his jaw and huffed,

"I'm going to bed." he said testily and got up before leaving the hall with an angry stride.

Hermione watched him go and then turned to look at Ron who shrugged, a helpless look on his face,

"I think he's going mental." he said in his high pitched, stressed voice, eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

Hermione felt her residual anger dissipate toward the two boys before she sighed and thought about the incidents of the day again.

It was strangely coincidental, but really, she doubted Professor Mustang was a Death Eater just as much as she doubted Ed and Draco were, and since Dumbledore trusted Snape, it was unlikely he was one either.

She didn't want to agree with Ron, but Harry really did need to stop being so paranoid.

* * *

Harry had stridden out of the Great Hall with every intention of going to sit in his room and sulk quietly about his friends who didn't believe him. Honestly, as if he were just making things up as he went along, considering how often he'd been right so far when it came to Voldemort, he would have expected more trust in his intuition from them when it came to certain things.

Things like mistrustful Slytherins and professors, because he had always thought Snape was a slimy traitor and he still believed it. And Draco, he'd always been ripe for the picking as a Death Eater. Now adding Edward who was turning out to be a really worryingly skilled Slytherin wizard among other scaly personality traits, such as inciting violence and taking advantage of Hermione's 'benefit of the doubt' trusting nature, and to top it off he was friends with Malfoy and his shady crew.

And then there was Professor Mustang; he'd showed up under pretty mysterious circumstances and said very little most of the time while being extremely smooth about it, and he'd _encouraged_ Hermione to partner up with another house student, who just _happened_ to end up being _Edward_.

The entire set up was just fishy. With Hermione being the best witch in Gryffindor as well as muggle born, it would be reason enough for the Slytherins to target her and yet she seemed so oblivious to it! She'd been too busy staring into Elric's weird yellow eyes to see what was right in front of her. Dammit. At least Ron seemed to agree with him on Elric being scaly and possibly a Death Eater, even if he didn't agree with anything else.

Although Ron's support on the subject of Elric may well have just had to do with Hermione liking the blonde and Ron not liking that one bit.

He was just sighing to himself when McGonagall called out to him and he turned around to see her walking toward him,

"Yes, Professor?" he asked as he walked toward her as well.

She came to stop a few feet away, inclining her head and looking at him seriously,

"Headmaster Dumbledore would like to see you."

* * *

Harry stood over the _Pensieve_ , the blue and white glow of it reflecting off his face as he stared blankly into the pseudo liquid, silently processing what he'd just seen of Dumbledore's memory. What he'd just seen about Tom Riddle, Voldemort…as a child; even then he'd been brooding and unnerving.

"Did you know, sir?" Harry asked after a tense exhale, the first question he thought of as he gripped the sides of the _Pensieve_ , "Then?"

Dumbledore stood beside him, watching him with an unassuming expression but a gaze that sometimes Harry swore saw more than the older man let on,

"Did I know I'd just met the most dangerous dark wizard of all time?" he paused and Harry looked at him, noticing the somberness of Dumbledore's expression before the man shook his head, "No, if I had…I…" he trailed off, his eyes averting to the floor for a moment.

Harry realized then that Dumbledore probably had regrets about it, the old wizard probably wished he could have seen through Tom Riddle's troubles as a child and been able to help him somehow, to make it so that he didn't turn into the evil being he'd become.

When Dumbledore went on, it was without answering the previous question,

"Over time while here at Hogwarts, Tom Riddle grew close to one particular teacher…" Harry stared at him, breathing still slightly accelerated from experiencing the vivid memory in the _Pensieve_ , "…can you guess who that teacher might be?"

Harry let the question sink in as he tried to think of the answer, Dumbledore wouldn't be asking unless he knew Harry already had an idea. He swallowed tensely as he trailed his eyes away from the older man's serious, questioning gaze. There was only one teacher that Dumbledore had taken Harry out of his way to see, one teacher who the Headmaster had seemed very interested in having back on the staff,

"You didn't want Professor Slughorn back simply to teach potions, did you, sir?" he asked knowingly.

And Dumbledore answered quickly with a subtle shake of his head,

"No, I did not." he said simply, "You see, Professor Slughorn possesses something I desire very dearly and I knew he would not have given it up easily."

Harry knew where the conversation was going,

"You said Professor Slughorn would try to collect me?" he asked, eyes back on the inky memory.

"I did."

"Did you want me to let him?"

"Yes." Dumbledore said in a hushed voice and then sighed shortly, "That had been my hope."

Harry turned to look at him,

"But he changed his mind about coming back to Hogwarts." Harry stated the obvious and Dumbledore looked at him, "Do you know why, sir?"

"No, I don't…" the older man admitted as his hands disappeared behind his back where he clasped them, "…and curiously, I haven't been able to contact him again since he sent a letter to renege on his acceptance."

Harry glanced from Dumbledore to the floor, trying to think of how anyone could find Horace Slughorn if Dumbledore couldn't, because it seemed like finding him was really important,

"So what now, sir? How will you get what you need from him?" Harry hated asking the obvious question while not being able to offer any helpful suggestions, but since Dumbledore summoned him there, he assumed the older man had an idea or a plan.

"Well…" Dumbledore said almost cheerily as he paced idly to the front of his office, "…I find myself curious about the sudden appearance of a foreign magic tutor, applying to be a professor here at Hogwarts, only a day after Horace declined the offer without explanation."

Harry's stomach leapt in excitement and relief, because Dumbledore didn't trust Professor Mustang either!

"That's why you hired him, isn't it, sir? Because you think he has something to do with Professor Slughorn changing his mind and disappearing?" he knew he sounded hopeful, but that's because he was, it'd be a relief to be right.

It got old being thought of as a paranoid person.

Dumbledore, who somehow managed to have a neutral expression on his face despite the potential graveness of the situation, raised his eyebrows calmly,

"Perhaps." he said ambiguously, "I also wanted to observe how he performed as a Professor, since I was unable to find any references or trace the origins of his teaching experience, and I've come to learn in his short time here that he is a very capable potions teacher…and what's more, the students seem to like him, yes?" he enquired.

Harry just shrugged, to him it didn't matter how good a teacher Mustang was, he still didn't trust him.

"He doesn't seem to pose any threat, but one can never be certain." Dumbledore added when Harry said nothing, walking back to the _Pensieve_ and bringing his wand out from his robes, "That said, I confess that I find it logical thinking to assume he has come here because of you, Harry."

Harry swallowed tensely, frowning lightly,

"And why is that, sir?" he asked as he watched Dumbledore retrieve the memory with his wand and raise the phial to replace it. He hadn't noticed any specific behavior in the new professor towards himself, in fact the man had seemed indifferent to all students until Harry recently started suspecting him of being involved in a Death Eater plot.

When he thought about it like that, he did sound paranoid.

"The only reason Horace agreed to return to Hogwarts was because he'd have the opportunity to collect you, Harry. That teaching position was the only opening for any person with an agenda toward you to enter the school and gain direct access to you." he explained and Harry's eye widened, but Dumbledore intercepted his rush of realization and concern about the unknown danger he might have been in, "Because of that possibility, I've had Professor McGonagall keeping an astute eye on Professor Mustang, testing him and his intentions here at Hogwarts." he assured.

Harry didn't know if he felt particularly safer having Professor McGonagall watching out for him, but since Dumbledore trusted her, Harry did likewise, just as he'd been trying to do with Snape.

"And, sir?" Harry had to ask, "Do you think he's working for Voldemort?" he tensed up, fists clenching at the mention of the dark wizard's name.

Dumbledore regarded him for a moment before he turned and walked to the memory cabinet with the sealed phial in hand,

"I don't believe he is, quite honestly, Minerva tells me he hasn't showed any interest in Voldemort or you, whatsoever, Harry. She says that he actually doesn't seem to know much of anything about you to begin with, which is unusual in and of itself." he said thoughtfully, and Harry watched him replace the phial and close the cabinet before he turned around and blinked at Harry over the top of his spectacles.

"What is he interested in then, sir?" Harry frowned, surprised by the news of someone not only not knowing about him, but not being interested in knowing about him. Usually that was all anyone really wanted from Harry, was to know about his story first hand or to use him somehow.

Dumbledore tucked his wand away and raised his eyebrows,

"I'm quite sure I don't know, Harry…" he said very honestly, "…perhaps nothing at all. Perhaps he **is** just a Potions tutor who required a job." the older man walked back towards Harry, who expressed his doubt clearly on his face,

"I think that's unlikely, sir." he said what he honestly thought, hardly anyone who came to Hogwarts under unusual circumstances, came without an agenda.

Dumbledore walked around his desk and sat down, nodding,

"As do I, however at this point we can only hope to uncover whatever it is that he's hiding before we have no control over it. For this reason, I'd like you to get to know him as a student, whilst Minerva is trying to do the same as a Professor." he looked seriously at Harry.

The teen just waited quietly for the Headmaster to complete his instructions,

"You see, if he is here because of you, perhaps he will reveal his intentions sooner if you make yourself more accessible." Harry nodded firmly, prepared to do anything, "It could be dangerous, Harry, we don't know anything about him." Dumbledore cautioned and as usual, Harry told him what he felt,

"I can do it, Headmaster." he said surely, even as his nerves rattled as they usually did when he was about to endanger his life.

Dumbledore nodded slowly before he leaned back in his chair and returned to a thoughtful tone,

"And if it should turn out that his intentions for being here are not toward you, perhaps by getting to know him, you will be able to find out-…"

"…if he knows anything about Professor Slughorn." Harry followed Dumbledore's train of thought and the old man smiled slightly and nodded,

"Precisely, Harry."

After a beat of silence, Harry nodded again and went to leave but he stopped a few paces away and turned back to Dumbledore, the man seemed to have sensed his stare because he looked up from whatever book he'd opened and raised his eyebrows,

"Something else, Harry?"

Harry stepped uncertainly forward at first and then walked closer again,

"Sir, I just wanted to ask…about Edward Elric." he said with some tension in his shoulders.

"What about him?" Dumbledore had his unrevealing, neutral expression on his face again.

"Is he…can we…can he be trusted, sir?"

There was a stretch of silence where Dumbledore watched Harry and then inclined his head slightly,

"I've entrusted that determination to Professor Snape, Harry." he said it as if he knew it'd upset Harry but hoped there'd be no argument, apologetic yet unyielding.

There was nothing Harry could say to that, so he just nodded stiffly and left the office; he still had some sulking to do.

* * *

The Following Day

Severus stood behind his desk looking out over the silent sixth year class as he always did, appearing as sinister as he could so as to keep the students in check, and it always worked. They would barely shift in their seats for fear of being assigned extra homework or detention.

All of them except for Draco, that was, who seemed increasingly distracted in every class while his classwork efforts deteriorated, and of course, Edward, who had no fear of him to speak of.

Or seemingly of anything else really.

Severus hated to think of the boy as remarkable, he hated to think of anyone in that way but it was the only way he could think of to describe the blonde, golden eyed prodigy. Edward Elric…Von Hohenheim, descendent of a pure wizard-alchemist bloodline and somehow not the seventeen year old he appeared to be.

Severus had allowed himself to think on that last detail for a while after he and Edward's encounter the previous morning. After hearing from the boy's mouth that he had in fact taken life before, with seriousness in those golden eyes that told no lies, how could Severus not consider the possibility that Edward was as Nicolas Flamel had been, aging slowly due to the alchemist Elixir Of Life? It seemed entirely possible.

However little respect he personally held for the dead art, it didn't change the fact that Nicolas had been able to prolong his life with alchemy. And seeing as how Ed was a young genius, it seemed plausible, entirely so, that Edward Elric might have achieved the same thing and so he just appeared as a teenage boy when he in fact was not.

Edward had stated himself that he was not a child and he certainly didn't behave like any teenager Severus had encountered. His confidence, power and demeanor all spoke of someone far beyond the years of a seventeen year old. And if he was honest with himself, he hoped it was true that Edward was in fact an adult living a life of semi-immortality, it would certainly only be beneficial in fighting Voldemort and Severus would not feel as guilty for allowing the blonde to have gotten involved, not like he felt over Draco's involvement.

But there was one thing Severus had to worry about if it turned out that Edward was a grown man living in a teenager's body…and that was Hermione Granger, who was very much just a seventeen year old girl. His lip curled upward in disgust at the thought of a grown man fraternizing with a teenager and his eyes fell on Edward, who was sitting next to Blaise Zabini as he usually did while reading through the preparation lesson they would work on the following day.

His eyes trailed to Granger next, seeing that she was equally absorbed in the text. Severus had noticed she spent less time with Potter and Weasley recently and that could only be because of her increasing interest in Edward, the 'loathed new Slytherin' by default. He sighed inaudibly and thought over what needed to be done next; he knew he needed to teach –if that was the right word to use- Edward to apparate. He'd also decided the teen would be taken out of _Apparation_ classes in the second term because he'd be learning it sooner, so there would be no reason for the classes at that time. He'd already removed _Apparition_ from Edward's class schedule. He'd also removed _Ancient Runes_ , leaving behind _Arithmancy_ because Edward had come to be a well-known 'genius' amongst the faculty and student body, and he didn't want anyone thinking Edward was dropping the more complex subjects because it might raise questions.

Snape had already drawn up a new class schedule for Edward, the very same one he leaned toward his desk to pick up as the lesson drew near its end. He walked around his desk slowly, his movement causing the students to glance at him, and he made his way slowly to Edward's desk. He noticed how everyone glanced over again when he stopped and held out the schedule card, Blaise Zabini leaning over slightly to look at it curiously as well.

"Pertaining to our dis-cussion yesterday, Elric, I have amended your class schedule which will change from tomorrow…" he said loud enough that any curious person would hear the excuse he was making for why he'd held Ed back after class the day before, "…this way you will have time to complete… **all** given work tasks on time, no…ex-cuses." he finished with a convincing glare down at the blonde.

Edward glanced at the card and then his face before he took it from Severus with his gloved hand and looked at it,

"Thanks, Professor." he said flatly and slipped it into his notebook.

Severus lingered a few seconds longer so all the students would observe his carefully disapproving gaze and then he turned around and headed back toward the front of the class.

There was a quiet murmur that moved through the students and Snape turned on them with a reasonably loud,

"Be qui-et."

When the class fell silent again he went back to his musing while he stood and watched over the class.

* * *

Edward sat through Charms class impatiently, not partaking in the class while Hermione did her usual thing where she answered every question that came up. He also didn't partake in his fellow Slytherins snickers and mumbled insults of Hermione and he noticed how she kept glancing over at him, probably to check on that.

He wasn't sure what she expected, whether it was that he was going to be laughing along with them or defending her honor, he wasn't going to do either.

He had other things on his mind.

He assumed she'd noticed when he hadn't been particularly interested in conversation during Potions class earlier, especially since he'd had to arrive ten minutes late to class so that Mustang could slap him with detention, which he had been given by the end of the period. Hermione had looked like she felt bad for him and he supposed that was nice of her. Edward felt worse for himself though, because he'd have to face a long conversation with Mustang after a long _school_ day, shit. He hated having to go along with the multiple pretenses he had. But he was mentally preparing himself for Mustang, he knew he had to act _normal_ , he couldn't let the man see through his lies, as the Colonel so often did.

But at least he was looking and feeling better, Ed had actually slept pretty well with the sleeping draught, so his appearance would be less concerning for the older man, from there it'd just require making Mustang believe he wasn't hiding anything. He'd also purposely let Mustang see him appear calm and collected in Potions, hoping it'd deter the older man's worries, because Ed's goal was to keep Roy out of the mess that was the magic world.

He'd gotten himself into the situation he was in by drawing attention to himself, and there was no reason to drag Mustang into it too...and even if Ed had wanted to tell him, the _Unbreakable Vow_ would not allow it.

Thinking of the _Unbreakable Vow_ reminded Ed of DADA and his new class schedule, where his study of _Ancient Runes_ had been removed along with _Apparition_ lessons. Ed didn't care either way, he assumed there was some reason Snape had removed _Apparition_ when Ed hadn't even started taking it yet, and the removal of the other subject was obviously to cover their excuse of Ed not completing homework in time. The _Ancient Runes_ class hadn't been helping him anyway, something told Ed that the symbols that had been on the array that landed them there were not going to come up in a class lesson, just the same as alchemy tutors never taught their apprentices about Human Transmutation, it just wasn't done because it was too dangerous.

Which meant that the books with the information he and Mustang would need would be somewhere else and Ed remembered seeing a 'Restricted Section' in the library every time he'd been there…so maybe…

When the period finally ended he walked out of the classroom with the Slytherins as he had routinely begun to do and they all headed to Astronomy.

* * *

"So you only 'ave eight classes now, mate?" Blaise asked as Edward pulled his gloves back on, he'd just finished eating and had to head to his 'detention'.

"Yeah." he confirmed, not offering any explanation as he ran a hand over his ponytail.

"Better that, as the year goes on the workload always ges' worse." the taller boy complained seriously before biting into a piece of chicken.

"You need to stop giving Mustang reasons to give you detention." Nott commented as Ed sighed and stood up, stepping out of his seat,

"Why do you come late to class anyway, Ed?" Pansy asked with a mischievous smile, "What do you get up to?" they all looked at him and he just smirked at her,

"Wouldn't you like to know."

They all laughed and as he was walking away Pansy said in a playful tone,

"I really would."

Ed just kept walking and left the noise of the Great Hall behind him, making his way down the walkway until he came to the stairs and he took them two at a time. He avoided the changing staircases as often as he could and he'd found a way to get to the sixth floor without having to go that way.

After making his way up the various staircases, the long way, Ed exited into the sixth floor, he walked two more corridors and went around two more corners before he came to the walkway which led to the dead end hall where Mustang's office was located. He walked straight in without bothering to knock, shutting the door behind himself and then he paused where he stood to unintentionally watch the older man pull a long sleeve button down shirt onto his bare torso as the Mustang walked out of a back room.

Mustang paused in his slow walking when he saw Edward standing inside near the door staring at him, and after a lazy blink he started to button up the shirt that he wore with a plain pants and his boots,

"You're earlier than I expected." he said quietly in a droll tone of voice.

Ed raised his eyebrows, shrugging as he glanced around the large room before looking back to Mustang,

"Is that why you aren't decent?" he grumbled.

"It isn't my fault you left your manners on the farm in Risembool." Mustang quipped under his breath, walking over to his tea and coffee tray as he finished buttoning up his shirt, but Ed had heard him and glared at Mustang,

"Whatever, shut up." he griped lamely, not really in the mood. He didn't comment further though, because he hadn't knocked and so it was his own fault that he'd gotten an eyeful of his half-dressed C.O.

The teen made his way over to the fire place where a very pleasant warmth was radiating from and he flopped into the single chair near it, sliding down lazily so that his ponytail length clung to the cushion above his head and his legs were stretched out over the seat edge, bent at the knees. He still felt his most at ease around the Colonel, which wasn't surprising considering that the older man had been like surrogate family -or something- even before they'd been sucked into the magic world.

He listened to the clinking of cutlery and then Ed opened his eyes, he hadn't realized he'd closed them, when Mustang nudged his boot with his own,

"Here."

Ed looked at the cup of steaming liquid being held out to him and then narrowed his eyes as he sat up straighter and took the cup,

"...uh…thanks…" he said warily while watching the older man go over and sit on the double couch across from him,

"Don't look at me like that. You know it irritates me." Mustang said with an annoyed expression as he settled down with his own cup of coffee.

"Yeah, well why're you being so damn nice, you always have some shitty motive." Edward accused and eyed the coffee he held in his hand suspiciously,

"I don't have a damn motive, I'm just polite enough to make you a beverage while I get one for myself." Mustang informed with a look that said Ed was a rude brat.

Edward shifted in the chair, unsure of whether he believed Mustang. He flexed his fingers around the warm cup of coffee as he tried to figure out the game plan, the Colonel always had a trick up his sleeve. Was this an attempt to make him lower his guard so he'd be more amenable to talking? Maybe.

Although it seemed like Mustang wasn't in the mood for a stare off because he averted his gaze, sipped his coffee, sighed deeply and ran a hand through his jet black hair before he leveled Ed with a diplomatic look,

"There's no point in us fighting, Edward, I don't know why you seem so eager to be at odds with me." he pointed out.

Ed frowned and looked away from Mustang as he sipped his own coffee and then held the warm cup between both hands as he stared down into the dark brown liquid. He honestly didn't want to fight with Mustang either, he needed the other man as much as he needed Ed,

"It's just been fucked up okay, having to go through asinine classes all day while trying to find time to do research." he made an excuse and then looked at Mustang, "And don't call me Edward, it's just weird."

From behind his cup Mustang smiled at that last comment and then nodded,

"You're right, it is weird…so Ed, I thought you were enjoying school?" he asked evenly.

Edward wasn't expecting casual conversation, he'd been expecting a debriefing, but then Mustang didn't seem to want to treat their meetings or situation as protocol and Ed kind of appreciated it, because with all of the shit he was dealing with, taking orders as Major Elric from Colonel Mustang would have been messed up.

The blonde leaned back in the chair again,

"Yeah well, it gets old fast." he sipped his coffee, slurping as he did so and Mustang visibly cringed,

"Ugh, I hate when you do that," Ed rolled his eyes, "do you do it just to annoy me?" he glared.

Ed snorted,

"Yeah, cause' my every cup of coffee is inspired by you." Ed mumbled sarcastically into his cup.

"While I appreciate the sentiment, I can do without it." Mustang smirked and sipped his coffee too.

Ed pressed his head back into the couch and groaned,

"Oh, get over yourself, bastard."

"Speaking of getting over something, are you over Hermione Granger?" Mustang rerouted the conversation without a hint of subtlety.

Edward sighed,

"I was never into her in the first place."

"Don't lie Ed, it's unbecoming."

"Said the pot to the kettle."

"Don't avoid the question."

Edward realized he might not be able to avoid the subject with denial, so he tried a different angle,

"Is this really what you wanted to talk about?"

Mustang shook his head,

"No, but the girl is already smelling you in love potions, Ed," the teen couldn't help groaning and pressing his face into his gloved hand, "and you said you weren't encouraging it."

Edward rubbed his hand over his face and up into his bangs as he put his coffee down on the side table,

"I've got it under control, okay? So drop it."

Mustang stared at him for a few seconds and then nodded,

"Fine," he sighed, "have you found out anything new?"

Ed mentally sifted through the information he could and could not tell Mustang and he realized that,

"No, just been getting a lot of homework and not enough time to physically exercise." and he meant the last part with feeling. He'd been doing his basic stretches in the mornings before he showered but he had to be careful to make sure no one was up when doing so, and he wasn't able to do anything else besides stretch. It was frustrating.

Yet again he thought about how much easier his life would be if he just got rid of his automail...

...oh, right!

He sat forward quickly and whatever Mustang had been about to say was cut short by his abrupt movement,

"That's it! I've been trying to figure out where I can find time and a place to clean and oil my automail, because I have to worry about the smell or someone seeing me cause' it takes a while-…"

"So you want to do it here?" Mustang asked knowingly, without much of an expression.

Ed blinked then, for the first time ever wondering if his automail maintenance would make the older man uncomfortable,

"Would that be alright?" he asked with a small frown.

Mustang seemed unfazed which relaxed Edward,

"Yes, of course, but I don't have cleaning agents or machine oil and I doubt you do either." he pointed out. Edward looked down at his left leg. considering something, when Roy spoke again, "Speaking of which, Ed, a large part of your automail functionality is because of your nerves right?"

He nodded,

"Yeah, why?" he asked as he thought about using alchemy to clean his automail. He never had before because he'd never needed to…that, and Winry had threatened to kill him anytime he used alchemy on his metal limbs unnecessarily.

"Hm, just wondering, there was something I heard about machinery not functioning at Hogwarts, but I guess it doesn't apply to your leg." Mustang said in a conversational tone.

Edward just frowned at him absently and went back to considering his leg; technically with using magic as a pseudo-Philosopher's Stone, Ed could clean and oil his leg using nothing but his alchemy energy.

 _'_ _Not in front of Mustang, though.'_ he sighed inwardly, thinking of the fact that he was still concealing the abilities they were **both** able to utilize.

He swallowed tensely as he wondered about keeping that secret for the hundredth time, whether or not he should tell the older man. Mustang was still fairly new to using alchemy without an array and even before then, he had only been acquainted with it by association. But seeing as how Edward was keeping much more serious information from the older man, a man he cared about despite claiming otherwise and never being willing to admit it, if something went wrong –not that it was likely- but just in case it did, Ed didn't want the Colonel being at _any_ sort of disadvantage. Although, if there was anyone that could wipe out the Death Eaters and Voldemort on a cake walk, it was Colonel Roy 'Flame Alchemist' Mustang, because when it came right down to it, Mustang was fucking dangerous. So if he had the extra ability that the magic provided…he'd be epically dangerous.

It would be kind of terrifyingly awesome to witness actually, he could picture it, Mustang's abilities amplified to new extremes, and Mustang would know how to remain in control of himself...right? Well, if nothing personally provoked him at least. Ed really hoped he'd never again see Mustang as he had on the Promised Day, when the older man had been blindly, hellishly bent on Envy's painful, agonizing, absolute death being by his hands. So much deft, fatalistic ability all wielded in a single snap of the Flame Alchemist's fingers was beyond nerve wracking; it had been downright fucking scary.

But all of that aside, he trusted Mustang…

Shrugging off the bad memory of a crazed Mustang, Ed smirked slightly, decision made, and stood up,

"I'm gonna' use alchemy to clean it." he announced, thinking it was better to ease Mustang into a demonstration of the fact that together they were walking pseudo-Philosopher's Stones. Two of the most powerful alchemists in history…being almost literally invincible…well, he wasn't going to say it like that.

Mustang would probably –most definitely- not like that idea, especially if Ed had to let on that the idea and its possibilities gave him butterflies and underlying rage issues.

"What about oiling it?" Mustang asked casually as he watched Ed, who was removing his black robe,

"Uh…I have a plan, you'll see." he said vaguely; rather he show Mustang than tell him.

Ed didn't think anything of stripping off his boots and pants, the latter of which he tossed on the sofa along with his robe, having been in just his boxers around many people due to his automail and hospital stints throughout his lifetime, it was no big deal. Mustang wasn't fazed either, he just sat sipping his coffee, his gaze drifting from Edward to the fire place.

Ed sat down on the sofa again when Mustang spoke,

"So why was Draco Malfoy looking at you like that when I asked you both to stay after class?" he asked evenly.

Ed had known the question would come up so he'd thought up a lie, but he kept his eyes down on examining his automail while he told it, cause Mustang could usually see through his lies,

"Probably thought I'd ratted him out about something he said, the Slytherins talk a lot of trash about other people, professors included." he made sure to sound indifferent.

"Is that so…" it wasn't a question and Mustang didn't sound anything like convinced.

Ed decided to change the subject by placing his hands on his automail leg, without clapping, and he disintegrated the past weeks' worth of dust and grime with a charge of purple-red alchemy, while grinning at Mustang who shook his head with a smirk of his own,

"You know, I can probably do that too." he pointed out, setting his cup on the side table next to his couch.

Ed took his cue from the older man since he'd brought it up, looking at Roy while still grinning,

"You **can** , not probably…" he leaned his elbows on his knees, "…have you tried not clapping?"

Mustang shook his head,

"No, I have been messing around with magic and potions though, interesting stuff." he said lightly, crossing his legs and leaning his elbow on the armrest.

Ed sighed and gave him an 'are you kidding' look, before he bit the bullet,

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you…"

The older man looked at him seriously now, his attention rapt and gaze intent and Ed knew there was no backing out,

"What is it?" he prompted calmly.

Ed stared at him for a few seconds and then stuck to his decision that showing the man was better than telling him, so he picked his coffee mug up, glanced into the remaining luke warm liquid and then sat forward with the mug cradled in his hands,

"Watch." he instructed and waited as Mustang shifted, uncrossing his legs and sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, close enough so he could more or less see into the mug.

Ed turned his focus inward, sifting through equations and chemicals and molecules and matter. He started from scratch, which seemed appropriate since he was making machine oil from nothing. It was a matter of seconds between mentally formulating equations that incorporated the base oil and its additives to when the semi thick, faintly amber fluid manifested inside the cup he held with a few subtle red flashes of energy, all traces of the coffee gone.

He glanced from the cup to Mustang when it was done and he saw that the man had paled slightly and his lips were in a straight, tense line. When his blue eyes looked up abruptly from the mug to Ed's face, the teen quickly explained,

"It's the magic, Mustang." he said in a hushed tone, as if it were a secret. And he didn't even know why, but he was grinning while he said it.

"Explain." Mustang said firmly in his C.O voice.

Ed's smile faltered and he scratched his left forearm before he could stop himself because it itched and burned mildly. He sighed when he realised what he was doing and covered the action quickly by putting the mug down, then he pulled his right arm sleeve up and showed his restored, healthy flesh to Mustang,

"Their magic is unlimited, it-…" he paused when Mustang grabbed his right arm and shoved the sleeve up further, looking closely at his well-nourished flesh. Ed Ed didn't stop him, "…it's **unlimited** and there is no equivalence required." he could see the older man breathing slightly faster as he used both hands to run his fingers over Ed's wrist and his no longer bony or ashen fingers, "It acts as a Philosopher's Stone." Ed finished quietly, trying to ignore Mustang's smooth hands and fingers tickling his relatively new skin lightly.

The curious, gentle touch was abruptly replaced with a firm grip on his forearm when Mustang looked at him again,  
"How long have you known about this?" he demanded again in his C.O voice.

"Since Diagon Alley." Ed answered quickly, because for some reason that tone of voice made Ed remember Mustang during protocol drills where Edward was compulsorily required to stand at attention – to the front salute, right face, parade rest, dismiss- with the rest of the Colonel's command unit.

"And you're only telling me **now**?" he snapped and Ed nearly said 'yes, sir, I apologize, sir' but Mustang's C.O face dropped and his grasp moved to Ed's upper arm where he shook the teen once firmly, "Ed, why the hell didn't you tell me this? That kind of power makes these magic people much more dangerous."

Ed blinked when he heard that and then he shrugged Mustang's hand off along with his urge for automatic soldier responses, which only ever arose when Mustang was angry and Ed felt guilty for doing something wrong. Damn insecure adolescent habits,

"They have no fucking idea…" he said shortly and Mustang frowned at him, "…and even if they did, they couldn't use it like we can, using magic as a Philosopher's Stone still requires the understanding of alchemy, they're not even close to smart enough, and those who are think Alchemy is bullshit." Ed said irritably at the thought.

"So you've been using it?" Mustang sighed as he stood up and ran his hands back through his hair.

Ed stood up as well,

"Kind of, there isn't much need for it." _'…yet.'_ he lied to Mustang's back, hands falling on his hips, a stance that Roy mimicked unconsciously a second later.

Edward frowned at their similar stances and then crossed his arms over his chest quickly before Mustang turned around to face him,

"You should have told me sooner."

"Yeah, yeah…I know, I'll imagine the rest of the lecture in my spare time." Ed waved it off and then stepped closer to the Colonel with a grin, "It's a good thing for us though, because when we figure out the array, I can use the magic energy to activate it-…"

"…-and we won't lose any limbs or vital organs." Mustang caught on fast, eyebrows rising.

"Exactly." Ed said proudly, pleased he'd sold the older man on the idea and made him feel better.

"This is incredible…and…and…"

"Scary." Ed offered although it no longer scared him.

"Yes." Mustang breathed, staring straight at him, sincere dark blue eyes to empathetic, keen gold.

"Try not to think too much about it." Ed advised uselessly, dropping his arms to his sides.

Mustang huffed,

"I was just getting used to using alchemy without a god damned circle."

"I know…"

"And it was remarkable enough without finding out I can break all the laws of equivalence."

"I know…"

"I mean, I haven't even gotten around to using ignition gloves without my alchemy fire sigil!"

"I **know** …"

"The possibilities…Ed…" Mustang breathed and stepped closer, inches away, eyes wide.

"I KNOW." Edward said in frustration, but he was fighting a grin and he grabbed Mustang by his shirt collar and shook him slightly, "Get a fucking grip, Mustang or I'll smack-…"

A knock interrupted them and they both frowned and looked toward the door at the same time, which could not be seen from where they stood in the back of the office. After a beat they looked back to each other and Mustang's eyes moved downward to the hands still clutching his collar, so Ed removed his grip only to find Mustang looking further down.

Suddenly Ed standing around in his boxers didn't seem like it wasn't a big deal…not when technically he was a student, Mustang was his 'teacher', this was said teacher's private office and there was someone knocking at the door.

Yeah, considering what it would look like to an outsider, it was a really big deal.

* * *

 _Next Chapter - Ed starts to lose his temper with Snape, Roy has a not-really conversation with Dumbledore about stuff and then he finds Ed in the library and one of them is pissed off...or are both of them?_


End file.
